Tiv (or Tiiv)[2] are a Tivoid ethnic group. They constitute approximately 2.4% of Nigeria's total population, and number over 5 million individuals throughout Nigeria and Cameroon.[3]
The Tiv language is spoken by over 5 million people in Nigeria with a few speakers in Cameroon. Most of the language's Nigerian speakers are found in Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, Plateau, Cross rivers, Adamawa, Kaduna, and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja. The language is a branch of Benue–Congo and ultimately of the Niger–Congo phylum. In pre-colonial times, the Fulani ethnic group referred to the Tiv as "Munchi" (also sometimes written Munshi e.g. Duggan 1932), a term not accepted by Tiv people . They depend on agricultural produce for commerce and sustenance.
^Duggan, E. de C. (1932). "Notes on the Munshi ('Tivi') Tribe of Northern Nigeria: Some Historical Outlines". Journal of the Royal African Society. 31 (123): 173–182. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a101094. JSTOR716707.
