🇳🇬 Language

Yoruba

Evidence: Well documented

Yoruba is a language of Kogi State, according to Roger Blench's Atlas of Nigerian Languages (2020), which classifies it as Yoruboid (Volta–Niger).

Key facts
Type
Language
Belongs to
Yoruboid
Glottocode
yoru1245
Overview

Yoruba is a language of Kogi State, according to Roger Blench's Atlas of Nigerian Languages (2020), which classifies it as Yoruboid (Volta–Niger). The Atlas places Yoruba in most of Kwara, Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Ondo states, in the western LGAs of Kogi State, and in Benin Republic and Togo; it is also a ritual language in Cuba and Brazil. Other names include Yorùbá, Yorouba, Yariba, Aku, Nago. The Atlas cites speaker figures of 5,100,000 (1952); 15,000,000 (UBS 1984). It has many dialects. The Atlas's preliminary grouping includes an Okun group (Yagba, Gbede and Ijumu), and names Owe and Bunu among the dialects. It has an official orthography and a written literature of more than a century; Scripture portions appeared from 1850.

Connections
Other names
  • Aku · alternative
    Blench's Atlas (2020), field 2.A: name based on location.
  • Nago · alternative
    Blench's Atlas (2020), field 2.A: name based on location.
  • Yariba · spelling variant
    Blench's Atlas (2020), field 1.A: alternate spelling of the name.
  • Yorouba · spelling variant
    Blench's Atlas (2020), field 1.A: alternate spelling of the name.
  • Yorùbá · endonym
    Blench's Atlas (2020), field 1.B: the speakers' own name for the language.
Sources
  1. An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (2020 edition) — Roger Blench, Kay Williamson Educational Foundation / McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, 2020 · Academic source · link (accessed 24 Sep 2026)
    Supports: Yoruba: location, classification, other names, speakers
  2. Glottolog language index (resourcemap) — Glottolog · Academic source · link (accessed 26 Sep 2026)
    Supports: Glottocode yoru1245
How evidence is graded
  • Verified: Supported by an official source, or by two or more independent sources that agree.
  • Well documented: Supported by credible sources, but not yet independently confirmed.
  • Reported: Found in a credible source; further corroboration is welcome.
  • Needs corroboration: The evidence is thin or incomplete; more sources are being sought.
  • Disputed: Credible sources or community accounts disagree; the differing accounts are noted.
  • Uncertain: There is not yet enough information to classify this responsibly.

Sources are marked official, academic, reference, community or general web. Sources that copy each other count as one. Oral traditions are recorded as traditions, not as proven fact.

Archive ID: LANG-YORUBA · Last updated 30 September 2026. Spotted an error or have a source to add? Tell us.

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