This section introduces the language Abesabesi, which will be grammatically
described throughout this grammar. The language with the ISO 639-3 code
"ibe" and the glottocode "akpe1248" is known as
"Akpes" in literature but will be called
"Abesabesi" throughout this thesis. It is spoken by about
7000 speakers in nine settlements in the Akoko area - the northern-most
region in Ondo State, Nigeria. Abesabesi has four dialects: Akpes, Ekiromi,
Ilueni, and Oshugu. Research for this thesis took place in Ikaram, which is
why the grammatical description is based on data of the Ekiromi dialect as
spoken in Ikaram. The language is attributed to the Benue-Congo branch of
the Niger-Congo phylum, but a closer relationship to subbranches or
languages remains disputed. Culturally, most speakers consider themselves
part of the Yoruba people. The varieties spoken in the nine settlements are
therefore often considered Yoruba dialects, while Standard Yoruba is the
lingua franca used for communication within the region and in formal domains
within each settlement. Abesabesi is also being replaced more and more in
informal and private domains. This has lead to a young generation of 1- to
20-year-olds barely speaking the language and, therefore, to language
endangerment.