International audience
This paper concerns the current realities on the linguistic relationship between Yala [ybr] and Yace (Ekpari) [ekr]. The two speech varieties are Idomoid, spoken primarily in Yala LGA, Cross River State, Nigeria. Our background research found that a recent study (Udoh 2003) regarded the speech varieties as dialects of one language, Yala. Through the use of wordlist, interview and observation schedule, we gathered linguistic and sociolinguistic data. Our data analysis reveals that Yace is a distinct language. It further shows that many Yace speakers are bilingual in Yala, even as most Yala speakers cannot speak or comprehend Yace.