Ukaan (also Ikan, Anyaran, Auga, or Kakumo) is a poorly described Niger–Congo language or dialect cluster of uncertain affiliation.^[2][3] Roger Blench suspects, based on wordlists, that it might be closest to the (East) Benue–Congo languages (or, equivalently, the most divergent of the Benue–Congo languages). Blench (2012) states that "noun-classes and concord make it look Benue-Congo, but evidence is weak."^[4]

Speakers refer to their language as Ùkãã or Ìkã.^[5]

Varieties

The name Anyaran is from the town of Anyaran, where it is spoken. Ukaan has several divergent dialects: Ukaan proper, Igau, Ayegbe (Iisheu), Iinno (Iyinno), which only have one-way intelligibility in some cases.

Roger Blench (2005, 2019)^[6] considers Ukaan to consist of at least 3 different languages, and notes that Ukaan varieties spoken in Ìshè,̣ Ẹkakumọ, and Auga all have different lexemes.^[5]

Salffner (2009: 27)^[7] lists the following four dialects of Ukaan.

• Ikaan: spoken in Ikakumo and Ikakumo (Edo State)
• Ayegbe: spoken in Ise
• Iigau or Iigao: spoken in Auga
• Iino: spoken in Ayanran

Distribution

Ethnologue lists the following locations where Ukaan is spoken.

• Ondo State: Akoko North-East LGA
• Edo State: Akoko Edo LGA
• Kogi State: Ijumu LGA (Anyaran, Auga, and Ishe towns)

Blench (2019) lists Ondo State, Akoko North LGA, towns of Kakumo–Aworo (Kakumo–Kejĩ, Auga and Iṣe); Edo State, Akoko Edo LGA, towns of Kakumo–Akoko and Anyaran.

Reconstruction

Proto-Ukaan has been reconstructed by Abiodun (1999).^[8]