The Efik Language has undergone several linguistic classifications since the 19th century. The first attempt at classifying the Efik Language was by Dr. Baikie in 1854.Baikie, p.420Jeffreys, p.63 Dr Baikie had stated, "All the coast dialects from One to Old Kalabar, are, either directly or indirectly, connected with Igbo, which later Dr. Latham informs me is certainly related to the Kafir class". The Kafir Class was a derogatory term used to describe the Bantu languages.Silverstein, p.211 Thus, Dr Baikie attempts to classify the Efik Language as linked to the Bantu languages. The next attempt to classify the Efik language was by Rev. Hugh Goldie who classified the Efik Language as one of the Northern Languages which he states, "forms by far the greater part of its as the Semitic class does, from the root of the verb."Goldie, Calabar, p.301 Another attempt was made by Westermann who classified the Efik languages as belonging to the West Sudan group of the Sudanic languages. The present linguistic classification was made by Greenberg who groups Efik in the Benue-Congo sub-family of the Niger-Congo family.Greenberg, p.9 One of the criteria of the inclusion of the Efik language into the Niger-Congo family is its morphological feature. According to Greenberg, "the trait of the Niger-Congo morphology which provides the main material for comparison is the system of noun classification by pair of affixes." Due to the large number of synonyms in the Efik vocabulary, scholars like Der-Houssikian criticised Greenberg's linguistic classification stating, "Ten of the Efik entries have in Goldie's dictionary several synonyms. This immediately brings up the possibility of differing connotations and nuances of meaning. Such differences are not defined by Goldie. These exceptions reduce the number of non-suspicious itens from 51 to 36."DerHoussikian,p.320 Faraclass later carried out an indepth study of Cross River Languages and classified the Efik language as a member of the Lower Cross sub-group of the Delta-Cross group which is an extension of the larger Cross River group that is a major constituent of the Benue Congo subfamily. 
The Efik Language has undergone several linguistic classifications since the 19th century. The first attempt at classifying the Efik Language was by Dr. Baikie in 1854.Baikie, p.420Jeffreys, p.63 Dr Baikie had stated, "All the coast dialects from One to Old Kalabar, are, either directly or indirectly, connected with Igbo, which later Dr. Latham informs me is certainly related to the Kafir class". The Kafir Class was a derogatory term used to describe the Bantu languages.Silverstein, p.211 Thus, Dr Baikie attempts to classify the Efik Language as linked to the Bantu languages. The next attempt to classify the Efik language was by Rev. Hugh Goldie who classified the Efik Language as one of the Northern Languages which he states, "forms by far the greater part of its as the Semitic class does, from the root of the verb."Goldie, Calabar, p.301 Another attempt was made by Westermann who classified the Efik languages as belonging to the West Sudan group of the Sudanic languages. The present linguistic classification was made by Greenberg who groups Efik in the Benue-Congo sub-family of the Niger-Congo family.Greenberg, p.9 One of the criteria of the inclusion of the Efik language into the Niger-Congo family is its morphological feature. According to Greenberg, "the trait of the Niger-Congo morphology which provides the main material for comparison is the system of noun classification by pair of affixes." Due to the large number of synonyms in the Efik vocabulary, scholars like Der-Houssikian criticised Greenberg's linguistic classification stating, "Ten of the Efik entries have in Goldie's dictionary several synonyms. This immediately brings up the possibility of differing connotations and nuances of meaning. Such differences are not defined by Goldie. These exceptions reduce the number of non-suspicious itens from 51 to 36."DerHoussikian,p.320 Faraclass in his study of Cross River Languages , classified the Efik language as a member of the Lower Cross sub-group of the Delta-Cross group which is an extension of the larger Cross River group that is a major constituent of the Benue Congo subfamily. Faraclas, p.41
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