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Language code: ig

Technical information about ISO 639 language code ig

Documentation

The table below provides technical details for the Igbo language, designated by the ig code from the ISO 639-1 standard.

Code

ig

Name

Official

Igbo

Native

Asụsụ Igbo

Family
Volta-Niger
Text direction

Left-to-Right

Language varieties
Central IgboEastern IgboNortheastern IgboNorthwestern IgboSouthern IgboWestern Igbo
Related languages
IkwerreIziiIkaEkpeyeEzaa
Key facts
Igbo has eight vowels split into two harmonic sets that govern vowel harmonyTone is lexical, with two basic tones and a downstep that can change meaningThe standard orthography employs Latin letters with dot-under diacritics to mark distinct consonantsTraditional Igbo numerals follow a vigesimal (base-20) system, though decimal forms are increasingly commonInternationally renowned literature, notably by Chinua Achebe, has introduced Igbo words and idioms to readers worldwide
Sample phrase

Ndewo, kedụ ka ị mere?

Character encodings

UTF-8, UTF-16, UTF-32

Supported in Localizely

Igbo belongs to the Niger-Congo language family, more specifically to the Volta-Niger branch of the Atlantic-Congo subgroup. It is recognized as a national language in Nigeria and is used in some parts of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. It is written using a modified version of the Latin alphabet. It is estimated that there are more than 30 million speakers worldwide.

Language presence globally

Speakers

Nigeria

30M

*The graph shows a rough estimate of Igbo speakers in countries where it is an official or minority language.

Related locale codes

ig-NG – Igbo (Nigeria)

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