This paper views Nigeria as a multilingual country with diverse languages and cultures to the extent that the total number of languages spoken right now in Nigeria is about 500 (See Adegbite 2010). This linguistic diversity in the country has occasioned the development and the spread of the concepts of bilingualism, multilingualism, diglossia and…

The languages of Nigeria and language usage in that country are discussed in a study designed to illustrate the need for a Nigerian lingua franca. Extensive data are first presented on Nigerian languages and dialects, their classification, and their geographic distribution. The remainder of the survey is devoted to a sociolinguistic study of…

The linguistic situation in Nigeria might be represented as a pyramid with a base composed of 400-500 native languages of which about 100 have been alphabetized. Of these, 51 with more than 100,000 speakers each, are considered regional languages; ten, with more than 1 million speakers each, are considered inter-regional languages; and three…

Wukari and Takum, two dialects of Jukun, are studied in this text, intended for both the trained linguist and the less trained student. The Jukun tribe is estimated to number 25,000 people living in the Benue River sections of Nigeria. Although the study is not intended to be comparative, some statements are included that indicate the patterned…