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Ethnologue: Languages of the World
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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Africa > Benin > Ede Ica

Ede Ica

A language of Benin

ISO 639-3: ica

Population  63,000 (2002 SIL).
Region  Zou Province, Bante Subprefecture.
Language map  Benin, reference number 16
Alternate names   Ica
Dialects  Ica, Ilodji (Ife). One of 8 languages comprising the Ede language subgroup (Yorboid) spread over southwestern Nigeria, southern and central Benin, and southern and central Togo. The subgroup also includes Ede Cabe [cbj], Ede Idaca [idd], Ife [ife], Ede Ije [ijj], Ede Nago [nqg], Kura Ede Nago [nqk], Manigri-Kambole Ede Nago [xkb]. The various people groups seek to maintain their individual identities yet recognize the wider Yoruba community. Lexical similarity: 83% with Yoruba of Porto-Novo [yor].
Classification  Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Defoid, Yoruboid, Edekiri
Language use  All domains. Also use Yoruba [yor], French, or Arabic [arb].
Language development  Literacy rate in L1: 30%. Literacy rate in L2: 40% in French.
Comments  Traditional religion, Muslim, Christian.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

KLUGE, Angela, author. 2011. "A sociolinguistic survey of the Ede language communities of Benin and Togo, Volume 3: Ica language area."  Available online

KLUGE, Angela, editor. 2011. "A sociolinguistic survey of the Ede language communities of Benin and Togo, Introduction and Volume 1: Ede language family – Background and assessment methodology."  Available online