Reconstructing Proto-Benue-Congo Noun Class Morphology: A Comparative Study of Selected Nigerian Languages

This study undertakes a comparative historical analysis aimed at reconstructing aspects of the Proto-Benue-Congo noun class morphological system, drawing on primary evidence from six selected Nigerian languages spanning the Edoid, Igboid, and Cross River sub-branches. The reconstruction of Proto-Benue-Congo noun classes is one of the foundational problems of Niger-Congo historical linguistics, yet the contribution of Nigerian language data to this reconstruction has been hampered by the limited availability of systematically collected primary morphological data for many relevant varieties. The research employs the Comparative Method supplemented by internal reconstruction and cladistic analysis. Primary noun class morphology data were elicited from 30 speakers of each of six target languages, including Edo, Igbo, Ogbia, Efik, Ogoni (Khana), and Ibibio, through structured noun elicitation protocols covering all documented class environments in each language. The analysis identifies regular class prefix correspondences across the six languages and proposes 12 reconstructed Proto-Benue-Congo noun class prefixes supported by evidence from at least four of the six languages. The study also documents class merger and split innovations that are used to establish a refined sub-grouping hypothesis for the Edoid-Igboid-Cross River clade within Benue-Congo. The research makes an original contribution to Nigerian and Niger-Congo historical linguistics and provides the most systematic multi-language noun class comparison yet undertaken for these three sub-branches. Keywords: Proto-Benue-Congo, noun class morphology, comparative historical linguistics, Nigerian languages, Niger-Congo.