Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 20, 2026

Ahan language

Aahan (Ààhàn) is an endangered divergent Volta–Niger language of Nigeria, closely related only to Ayere. There may be about 2,400 speakers left based on upper estimates (2024). Roger Blench however estimated about 300 speakers left in the year 2000. It is spoken in the village of Ahan-Ayegunle in the Omuo Oke district.

Last revised
Jul 20, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
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215 w
Citations
6
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Aahan
Native toNigeria
RegionOndo State
Native speakers
(300 cited 2000)1
Language codes
ISO 639-3ahn
Glottologahan1244
ELPÀhàn

Aahan (Ààhàn) is an endangered divergent Volta–Niger language of Nigeria, closely related only to Ayere. There may be about 2,400 speakers left based on upper estimates (2024). Roger Blench however estimated about 300 speakers left in the year 2000.2 It is spoken in the village of Ahan-Ayegunle in the Omuo Oke district.2

Distribution

According to Ethnologue, Ahan is spoken in:

Phonology

The phonemic inventory of Ahan is:34

Consonants

Labial Dental-
Alveolar 		Palato-
alveolar 		Velar Labio-
velar 		Glottal
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Stops b t d k g kp gb
Affricate ts tʃ dʒ
Fricative f θ s h
Lateral Approx. l
Central Approx. r j w

Vowels

Front Central Back
High i ĩ u ũ
Mid e o
Low ɛ ɛ̃ ɑ ɑ̃ ɔ ɔ̃
References

References

  1. Aahan at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. "A Sociolinguistic Profile of the Ahan Language in Ekiti State and the Oyuwu (Ayere) Language in Kogi State, Nigeria". SIL Global. 1 August 2024. Archived from the original on 6 July 2026. Retrieved 6 July 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. Ogunmodimu, Morakinyo Dickson (2015). A Grammar of Àhàn - ProQuest (Doctor of Philosophy thesis). ProQuest 1728162668.
  4. "Glottolog 3.3 - Àhàn". glottolog.org. Retrieved 2018-12-13.