Tiv Munshi language page

Classification and where spoken

Tiv is a member of the Bantoid subgroup of Benue-Congo and is spoken in the eastern part of Nigeria, particularly in Benue State.

Number of speakers

Grimes (1996) cites a figure of 2,212,000 speakers of Tiv. The Christian Reformed World Mission estimates between 1.5 to 2 million speakers (T. Koop, personal communication, 1983). Voegelin and Voegelin (1977) suggest between 600,000 and 800,000.

Usage

Tiv is a prominent local language. It is also used in initial primary education (Grimes 1996).

Orthographic status

Tiv orthography is being revised and reviewed by a government commission. Presently, tone markings exist in Tiv only where words would be ambiguous.

Sets of learning materials

One set of materials should be sufficient.