Yoruboid is a group of languages composed of Igala, a language spoken in central Nigeria, and the Edekiri group, the members of which are spoken in a band across Togo, Benin and southwestern Nigeria. The name Yoruboid derives from its most widely spoken member, Yoruba, which has more than 20 million speakers. Another well-known Yoruboid language is Itsekiri (Nigeria, 600,00-800,000 speakers). The Yoruboid group is a branch of Defoid, which itself is a branch of the Benue–Congo subfamily of the Niger–Congo language family.

Igala is a key Yoruboid language, spoken by 1.8 million people in the Niger-Benue confluence of central Nigeria, it is excised from the main body of Yoruboid languages to the west by Ebirra and the Edo languages. Igala is closely related to both Yoruba and Itsekiri languages.

All Yoruboid languages are tonal, with most of them having three level tones. Grammatically, they are isolating with a subject–object–verb basic word order.

The Itsekiri's are a riverine Yoruboid people who live in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. They maintain a distinct identity separate from other Yoruboid people. Their neighbours are the Urhobos, The Ijaws, and the Mahin Ilaje, a Yoruba clan.

Hey u what's gwan?

^^^It's time we the Yoruba started building the bridges broken by hatred and politics - with our Igala, Itsekiri, and Ebirra cousins (and probably the Nupes)...

Proud to be from the spiritual tribe of Yoruba!

Frazy: Hey u what's gwan?

I'm good, how are you?

Where have you been?

Frazzzy cutey, I kinda miss you a little bit.

Frazy,

Check your email, beau.

Yeah, already saw ur pm, that's why i holla back.

Next time send me pm with this ad

Frazy: Yeah, already saw ur pm, that's why i holla back.

Next time send me pm with this ad

Ok, beau.

Plz delete your email.

And whose pics is that on ur NL Profile?

am spying on my big couzines...yoruba i hail o..

Frazy: And whose pics is that on ur NL Profile?

Don't get jealous, beau - it's just a random pics I saw on the internet..

I'll delete it if you want.

I'm single.

Frazy: Yeah, already saw ur pm, that's why i holla back.

Next time send me pm with this ad

Done Thx.

rockafela: am spying on my big couzines...yoruba i hail o..

I hail you as well, brother.. One love!

We're all the same people - Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Edo, Ijaw etc..

Frazy:

Done Thx.

So, where have you been?

Chatted to you once, and you went ghost after that.

Is your profile pic your pic, or someone else?

shymmex:

Don't get jealous, beau - it's just a random pics I saw on the internet..

I'll delete it if you want.

I'm single.

Jealous? .....far from jealous. Just asking out of Curiosity.

shymmex:

So, where have you been?

Chatted to you once, and you went ghost after that.

Is your profile pic your pic, or someone else?

Yea been busy with stuffs.

Lol at my pics being that of me or someone else.

Frazy:

Jealous? .....far from jealous. Just asking out of Curiosity.

Hmmm, ok.

I used the pic because she had naija colours on.

Frazy:

Yea been busy with stuffs.

Lol at my pics being that of me or someone else.

Woooow!! You're gorgeous - I'll marry you at first sight..

Any takers, or am I allowed to apply?

Don't u think you can be sued for using someones else pics on a public forum?

Hey, don't derail your own thread. I 'm already taken unless otherwise.... U know what i mean don't U?

Frazy: Don't u think you can be sued for using someones else pics on a public forum?

I didn't know that. She's a video model - and I saw her pic on a music blog.

I'll take it off and replace it with your pic.

But we can still be friends, though... Do you live in the UK?

I live in long island NY. and u live in Peckham, init?

Yeah, grew up there and parents live there - but I live in the West Midlands as a young bachelor now.

Peckham is still home, tho.

Are you Nigerian?

shymmex: Yeah, grew up there and parents live there - but I live in the West Midlands as a young bachelor now.

Peckham is still home, tho.

Are you Nigerian?

Good to know. Yeah, i'm... half Igbo half yoruba.

Frazy:

Good to know. Yeah, i'm... half Igbo half yoruba.

I like that.

I look half igbo, and half Yoruba as well.. That's what everyone tells me..

Best of both world!

How come you know a lot about the UK, were you born here?

shymmex:

I like that.

I look half igbo, and half Yoruba as well.. That's what everyone tells me..

Best of both world!

How come you know a lot about the UK, were you born here?

Do i? I don't know much about the UK, i only visited when i was a lil kid. I have some relatives there though.

Hey, got stuffs to do. Brb.

Frazy:

Do i? I don't know much about the UK, i only visited when i was a lil kid. I have some relatives there though.

Gwan, init - those are proper london slangs..

You should visit again soon, I;ll show you everywhere - London is my city.

Frazy: Hey, got stuffs to do. Brb.

Ok, queen..

Frazy, check your email when you come back..

Back to the topic

And owing to the linguistic affinity, others affirm the Yoruba connections. For Byng Halt notes that, "It is not surprising that within a short period of arrival in Igala land, a Yoruba is well acquainted with the language.” He attributes the ease in learning the language to the closeness of the two languages. Armstrong sticks to this same view when he said: "the most definite historical statement that can be made about Igala is that . they had a common origin with the Yoruba and that the separation took place long enough ago to allow for their fairly considerable linguistic differences. There is a whole corpus of oral traditions on the origin of the Igala people.

The tradition, which holds that the Igala has the same origin with the Yoruba seem to be a plausible one. This humble submission is based on the fact that the Igala language has a lot in common with the Yoruba. Okwoli supports this view when he said: "When people speak the same language. or related languages, there is every reason to believe that they have common origin or have met somewhere.

http://igalaassociationusa.org/ViewContent.aspx?id=13