The Leko languages are a small group of languages spoken in northern Cameroon and eastern Nigeria. They were labeled "G2" in Joseph Greenberg's Adamawa language-family proposal. The Duru languages are frequently classified with the Leko languages, although their relationship remains to be demonstrated.[1]

Leko
Geographic
distribution
northern Cameroon, eastern Nigeria
Linguistic classificationNiger–Congo?
Language codes
Glottologleko1246

Languages

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The languages are:

Names and locations (Nigeria)

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Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations (in Nigeria only) from Blench (2019).[2]


Language Dialects Alternate spellings Own name for language Endonym(s) Other names (location-based) Other names for language Exonym(s) Speakers Location(s)
Nyong Nyɔŋ Nyɔŋ Nyanga sg. Nyɔŋvena, pl. Nyɔŋnepa (Nyongnepa) Mumbake, Mubako 10,000 (SIL) Adamawa State, Mayo Belwa LGA, West of Mayo Belwa town, Bingkola and 5 other villages
Pere Perema sg. Pena, pl. Pereba Wom (town name) Spoken in 10 villages around Yadim: Fewer than 4,000 Adamawa State, Fufore LGA
Samba Leko Chamba Leko, Samba Leeko Sama Samba Leko, Suntai 42,000 total (1972 SIL); 50,000 (1971 Welmers) Taraba State, Ganye, Fufore, Wukari and Takum LGAs; mainly in Cameroon

References

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  1. ^ Güldemann, Tom (2018). "Historical linguistics and genealogical language classification in Africa". In Güldemann, Tom (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of Africa. The World of Linguistics series. Vol. 11. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 58–444. doi:10.1515/9783110421668-002. ISBN 978-3-11-042606-9.
  2. ^ Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
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