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Ukaan (also Ikan, Anyaran, Auga, or Kakumo) is a poorly described Niger–Congo language or dialect cluster of uncertain affiliation. Roger Blench suspects, based on wordlists, that it might be closest to the (East) Benue–Congo languages (or, equivalently, the most divergent of the Benue–Congo languages). Blench (2012) states that "noun-classes and concord make it look Benue-Congo, but evidence is weak."

Speakers refer to their language as Ùkãã or Ìkã.

Varieties

The name Anyaran is from the town of Anyaran, where it is spoken. Ukaan has several divergent dialects: Ukaan proper, Igau, Ayegbe (Iisheu), Iinno (Iyinno), which only have one-way intelligibility in some cases.

Roger Blench (2005, 2019) considers Ukaan to consist of at least 3 different languages, and notes that Ukaan varieties spoken in Ìshè,̣ Ẹkakumọ, and Auga all have different lexemes.

Salffner (2009: 27) lists the following four dialects of Ukaan.

• Ikaan: spoken in Ikakumo and Ikakumo (Edo State)
• Ayegbe: spoken in Ise
• Iigau or Iigao: spoken in Auga
• Iino: spoken in Ayanran

Distribution

Ethnologue lists the following locations where Ukaan is spoken.

• Ondo State: Akoko North-East LGA
• Edo State: Akoko Edo LGA
• Kogi State: Ijumu LGA (Anyaran, Auga, and Ishe towns)

Blench (2019) lists Ondo State, Akoko North LGA, towns of Kakumo–Aworo (Kakumo–Kejĩ, Auga and Iṣe); Edo State, Akoko Edo LGA, towns of Kakumo–Akoko and Anyaran.

Reconstruction

Proto-Ukaan has been reconstructed by Abiodun (1999).

See also

• List of Proto-Ukaan reconstructions (Wiktionary)

References

1. Ukaan at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
2. Eberhard, David M.; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2022). "Ukaan". Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Online version (25th ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
3. "HRELP – Projects". Retrieved 2009-04-03.
4. Roger Blench, Niger-Congo: an alternative view
5. ^ Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
6. Blench, Roger. 2005. The Ukaan language: Bantu in south-western Nigeria?
7. Salffner, Sophie. 2009. Tone in the phonology, lexicon and grammar of Ikaan. Doctoral dissertation, University of London.
8. Abiodun, Michael Ajibola. 1999. A comparative phonology and morphology of Ukaan dialects of Old Akoko division. Doctoral dissertation. University of Ilorin.

External links

• ELAR archive of Farming, food and yam: language and cultural practices among Ikaan speakers
• Roger Blench: Aika (Ukaan) materials

• Niger–Congo languages
• Languages of Nigeria
• Ondo State
• Benue–Congo languages