Kainji languages

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

The Kainji languages are a group of approximately 40 languages spoken across a wide area in Nigeria, from Lake Kainji in the northwest to the northern Jos Plateau. These languages are spoken by relatively small communities, with most groups having fewer than 100,000 speakers, and many having significantly fewer. The Kainji languages are part of the larger Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Benue-Congo languages
Kainji
The 40 Kainji languages are scattered over a wide area from Lake Kainji in the northwest across to the northern part of the Jos Plateau. These languages are spoken by small groups having fewer than 100,000 speakers, many of them being very much smaller.
Read More
The 40 Kainji languages are scattered over a wide area from Lake Kainji in the northwest across to the northern part of the Jos Plateau. These languages are spoken by small groups having fewer than 100,000 speakers, many of them being very much smaller.
Read More