# Upper Cross River languages

The Upper Cross River languages form a branch of the Cross River languages of Cross River State, Nigeria. The most populous languages are Lokö and Mbembe, with 100,000 speakers.

## Languages

The internal structure per Cornell (1994), reproduced in Williamson and Blench (2000), is as follows:

## Names and locations

Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).
| | Language | Branch | Cluster | Dialects | Alternate spellings | Own name for language | Endonym(s) | Other names (location-based) | Other names for language | Exonym(s) | Speakers |
| Agọi | | | | Agoi | | WaGọi | Ibami | Ro Bambami | Wa Bambami | 3,650 (1953); estimated 12,000 (Faraclas 1989) | Cross River State, Obubra LGA, Agoi–Ekpo, Ekom–Agoi, Agoi–Ibami and Itu–Agoi towns |
| Kiọng | | | | | | | | Akoiyang, Äkäyöñ, Okoyong, Okonyong | | Spoken only by old people, younger generation speak Efik | Cross River State, Odukpani and Akamkpa LGAs |
| Kọrọp | | | | | Durop, Kurop | | Kòṛ óp̣ | | Ododop | 12,500 total (1982 SIL) | Cross River State, Odukpani and Akamkpa LGAs; and in Cameroon |
| Legbo | East–West | | | Gbo | Legbo | Agbo | Itigidi | Igbo Imaban | | 18,500 (1963); 30,000 (1973 SIL) | Cross River State, Obubra LGA; Abia State, Afikpo LGA |
| Lenyima | East–West | | | | | Anyima | | | Inyima | | Cross River State, Obubra LGA |
| Leyigha | East–West | | | | | Ayiga, Yigha | | Asiga | | 3,150 (1953) | Cross River State, Obubra LGA |
| Lokәә | East–West | | Ugep, Nkpam | Lokә, Lokö | | Yakạ, Yakә, Yakurr, Yakö | Ugep | | | 38,200 (1953); 100,000 (1973 SIL) | Cross River State, Obubra LGA |
| Lubila | East–West | | | | | Kabila | | Ojor, Kabila, Kaibre, Kabire | | | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, at Ojo Nkomba, and Ojo Akangba |
| Mbembe | East–West | | Adun, Okom (Eghom) (sub–dialects: Apiapum, Ohana, Onyen), Osopong (Ezopong), Ofombonga (Ewumbonga), Ofonokpan, Okorogbana, Ekama (Akam) in Ikom LGA, Oferikpe in Abakaliki LGA | | | | | Okam, Oderiga, Wakande, Ifunubwa, Ekokoma, Ofunobwan (per Thomas) | | 35,600 (1953); 100,000 (1982 UBS) | Cross River State, Obubra and Ikom LGAs; Anambra State, Abakaliki LGA |
| Nkukoli | East–West | | | Nkokolle | Lokukoli | | Ekuri | | | 17,831 (1926 Talbot); 10,000 (1973 SIL) | Cross River State, Ikom, Obubra and Akamkpa LGAs, Iko Ekperem Development Area |
| Olulumọ–Ikọm cluster | East–West | Olulumọ–Ikọm | | | | | Òkúní | | | 9,250 (1953) | Cross River State, Ikom LGA |
| Olulumọ | East–West | Olulumọ–Ikọm | | Òlúlùmọ | | | | | | 1,730 (1953); 5,000 (Faraclas 1989) | |
| Ikọm | East–West | Olulumọ–Ikọm | | | | | | | | 7,520 (1953); 25,000 (Faraclas 1989) | |
| Bakpinka | East–West | | | | | Iyongiyong, Iyoniyong | Uwet | | Begbungba | | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA |
| Doko–Uyanga | East–West | | | | Dọsanga | Basanga | Iko | | | Several towns | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA |
| Ukpet–Ehom cluster | East–West | Ukpet–Ehom | | Akpet–Ehom | | | | | | | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA |
| Ukpet | East–West | Ukpet–Ehom | | | Akpet | | | | | | |
| Ehom | East–West | Ukpet–Ehom | | | Ubeteng | Ebeteng | | | | | |
| Kukele | North–South | | 4 dialects in north, 3 in south, Ugbala, Mtezi and Mtezi–Iteeji in Anambra State, Abakaliki LGA | Ukele, Ukelle | Kukele | Bakele | | | | 31,700 (1953); 40,000 (1980 UBS) | Cross River State, Ogoja LGA; Anambra State, Abakaliki LGA; Benue State, Okpokwu and Oju LGAs; and in Cameroon |
| Ubaghara cluster | North–South | Ubaghara | | | | | | | | 30,000 (1985 UBS) | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA |
| Biakpan | North–South | Ubaghara | | | | | | | | | Ubaghara Development Area |
| Ikun | North–South | Ubaghara | | | | | | | | | Ubaghara Development Area |
| Etono | North–South | Ubaghara | | | | | | | | | Ubaghara Development Area |
| Ugbem | North–South | Ubaghara | | | | | | | | | Egup–Ita Development Area |
| Utuma | North–South | Ubaghara | | | | | | | | | Umon Development Area |
| Kohumono | North–South | Kohumono | | | KoHumono | BaHumono, sg. Òhúmónò | Ediba (under Ekurĩ (Thomas) | Ekumuru, Ìkúmúrú, Ìkúmóró (Igbo name); Àtàm (Efik name) | | 11,870 (1952) | Cross River State, Abi and Obubra LGA |
| KOIN (Kalaḅarị–Okrika–Ịḅanị–Nkọrọ) | North–South | Kohumono | Kalaḅarị, Kịrịkẹ (Okrika), Ịḅanị dialects and the isolated lect Nkọrọ Kokura (Bura Kokura), belonging to the Tera cluster | | | | | | | | Rivers State, Asari–Toru, Degema, Bonny, Okrika, and Port Harcourt LGAs |
| Oring cluster | North–South | Oring | | Orri | Koring | | | | | at least 25,000 (1952 RGA); 75,000 (Faraclas 1989) | Benue State, Okpokwu LGA; Anambra State, Ishielu LGA |
| Ufia | North–South | Oring | | | | | Utonkon | | | 12,300 (1952 RGA) | Benue State, Okpokwu LGA |
| Ufiom | North–South | Oring | | Effium | | | | | | 3,000 (1952 RGA) | Benue State, Okpokwu LGA; Anambra State, Ishielu LGA |
| Okpoto | North–South | Oring | | | | | | | | 6,350 (1952 RGA) | Anambra State, Ishielu LGA |
| Umon | North–South | | | | | Amon | | | | 25 villages | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA |
| Uzekwe | North–South | | | Ezekwe | | | | | | 5,000 (1973 SIL) | Cross River State, Ogoja LGA |
| Agwagwune cluster | North–South | Agwagwune | | Agwa–Gwunɛ | | | | | | 20,000 (SIL) | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA |
| Agwagwune | North–South | Agwagwune | | | Gwune | Agwagwune | Akunakuna (not recommended), Akurakura (of Koelle) | | | | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Egup–Ipa Development Area |
| Erei | North–South | Agwagwune | | | | Ezei | | Enna | | | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Erei Development Area |
| Abini | North–South | Agwagwune | | Bini, Abiri | Obini | | | | | | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Egup–Ipa Development Area |
| Adim | North–South | Agwagwune | | Arәm, Dim | Odim | | | Orum | | | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Egup–Ipa Development Area |
| Abayongo | North–South | Agwagwune | | Bayono, Bayino | | | | | | | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Egup–Ipa Development Area |
| Etono II | North–South | Agwagwune | | | | Etuno | | | | | Cross River State, Akamkpa LGA, Ubaghara Development Area |

## Reconstruction

A reconstruction of Proto-Upper Cross River has been proposed by Gerrit Dimmendaal (1978).