The Defoid languages are a now-abandoned branch of the Benue–Congo language family. The name of the group derives from the fact that nearly all of the ethnic groups who speak member languages refer to the city of Ilé Ifè as their place of origin — Defoid = èdè ('language') + ifè (Ife) + oid. The Defoid language group consists of two branches, Yoruboid and Akoko

Akoko language

North Akoko, usually abbreviated to Akoko, is a dialect cluster spoken in Nigeria. It appears to form a branch of the "Yoruba–Edo–Akoko–Igbo" group of Niger–Congo languages....

, which though related, are now recognized as not being closer to each other than they are to Igboid

Igboid languages

Igboid languages constitute a branch of the Volta–Niger language family. It includes Ekpeye and the Igbo languages:*Ekpeye*Igbo: Igbo proper, Ikwerre, Ika, Izi , Ogba, and Ukwuani-Aboh-Ndoni,spoken mainly in southern Nigeria....

 and Edoid

Edoid languages

The Edoid languages are some two-to-three dozen languages spoken in Southern Nigeria, predominantly in the former Bendel State. The Edoid group belongs to Volta–Niger branch of Niger–Congo; the name of the group derives from its most widely spoken member, Edo...

; the acronym is used provisionally for all four families. (See Volta–Niger languages

Volta–Niger languages

The Volta–Niger family of languages, also known as West Benue–Congo or East Kwa, is one of the branches of the Niger–Congo language family, with perhaps 50 million speakers...

.)

External links

• Niger–Congo languages spoken in Nigeria