Central Plateau languages
Central Plateau | |
---|---|
Geographic distribution | Nigeria |
Benue–Congo
| |
Subdivisions |
|
Glottolog | None sout3163 (Irigwe–Izeric–Tyapic) nort3184 (Hyamic–Koroic–Gyongic) nort3169 (North Plateau) |
The twenty Central Plateau languages are a residual branch of the
Classification
The Central Plateau languages are a close geographical group with numerous connections; however, they are to some extent a residual group and may be a sprachbund. The following classification is taken from Blench (2008). A distinction between North Plateau and the rest of Central Plateau is possible but appears to be geographic; Gerhardt (1994) argues they belong together.
Each of the second-level bullets is a single language or
- Rigwe (Irigwe)
- Izeric
- Izere: NE & NW Izere, Cèn, Ganàng
- Fəràn(Firan) – clearly related to Izere
- Tyapic
- Hyamic
- Koro
- Gyongic
- Gyong (Kagoma)
- Nghan(Kamantan)
- North Plateau (Northwest)
Blench (2018) splits the Central Plateau languages into a Northwest Plateau group consisting of Eda/Edra, Acro-Obiro (Kuturmi), Kulu, Idon, Doka, Iku-Gora-Ankwe, and a West-Central Plateau
Many of the languages, including Jju, were formerly classified as part of a Southern Zaria group in earlier classifications.[1]
Names and locations
Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).[2]
Language | Branch | Cluster | Dialects | Alternate spellings | Own name for language | Endonym (s) |
Other names (location-based) | Other names for language | Exonym (s) |
Speakers | Location(s) | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Izere cluster | Central | Izere | Izarek, Zarek | Afizere: other spellings – Fizere, Feserek, Afizarek, Afusare, Fezere | Jarawa | Jarawan Dutse | 22,000 (LA 1971); 30,000 (1977 Voegelin & Voegelin) | Bauchi State, Toro LGA; Plateau State, Jos South and Barkin Ladi LGAs; Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA probably migrants only | |||||
Fobur |
Central | Izere | Fobur, Shere, Jos Zarazon | Fobor | Northwestern Jarawa | Fewer than 15,000 (1991) | Bauchi State, Toro LGA; Plateau State, Jos LGA | ||||||
Northeastern Izere | Central | Izere | Federe=Fedare, Zendi, Fursum, Jarawan Kogi | Bauchi State, Toro LGA; Plateau State, Jos LGA | |||||||||
Southern Izere | Central | Izere | Forom | Fewer than 4,000 (1991) | Plateau State, Barkin Ladi LGA at Forom and Gashish villages | ||||||||
Ichèn |
Central | Izere | |||||||||||
Faishang |
Central | Izere | |||||||||||
Ganang | Central | Izere | |||||||||||
Jju | Central | Kәjju | Baju, Bajju | Kaje, Kajji, Kache | 26,600 (NAT 1949); possibly 200,000 (1984 SIL) | Kaduna State, Zangon Kataf, Kachia and Jema’a LGAs | |||||||
Tyap cluster | Central | Tyap | Kataf | Kaduna State, Zangon Kataf, Kaura and Jema’a LGAs | |||||||||
Tyap | Central | Tyap | Atyab, Tyab | Tyap | Atyap, Atyab | Katab, Kataf, Katap | estimate more than 130,000 (1990) | Kaduna State, Zangon Kataf and Kaura LGAs | |||||
Gworok |
Central | Tyap | Agwolok, Agwot, Gworog | Agolok, Kagoro | Aguro | 9,300 (NAT 1949) | Kaduna State, Kaura LGA | ||||||
Takad |
Central | Tyap | Atakat, Attaka, Attakar, Atakar, Takat | 5,000 (1950 HDG) | Kaduna State, Kaura LGA | no data | |||||||
Sholio |
Central | Tyap | Asholio, Asolio, Osholio, Aholio | Marwa, Morwa, Moroa, Marawa, Maroa | 5,700 (NAT 1949) | Kaduna State, Kaura LGA, around Manchok town | no data | ||||||
Tyecarak |
Central | Tyap | Aticherak, Kacicere | Daroro | 700 (NAT 1949) | Kaduna State, Zangon Kataf and Kaura LGAs | no data | ||||||
Fantswam |
Central | Tyap | Fantuan, Kafanchan, Kpashan | 970, (1934 HDG) | Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA | no data | |||||||
Fɨran | Central, South-Central | Faran, Forom | Fɨràn | yes Fɨràn sg. yes Bèfɨràn pl. | Kwakwi | Fewer than 1500 (1991) | Plateau State, Barakin Ladi LGA, at Kwakwi station, south of Jos | ||||||
Rigwe | Central, South-Central | Northern (Kwall), Southern (Miango) | Aregwe, Irigwe | ɾȉgʷȅ, Rigwe | ƴîɾìgʷȅ pl. yíɾìgʷȅ | Miango, Nyango, Kwall, Kwoll, Kwan | 13,500 (HDG); 40,000 (1985 UBS) | Bassa local government, Plateau State and Kauru local government, Kaduna State | |||||
Cori |
Hyamic | Chori | A single village and associated hamlets | Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA | |||||||||
Hyam cluster | Hyamic | Hyam | Kwak (=Nkwak) appears as a Hyamic language in Ethnologue (2009) and earlier versions, but the name is spurious and is simply a Hyam town name | Ham, Hum | Jaba | 43,000 | Kaduna State, Kachia and Jema’a LGAs | ||||||
Kwyeny |
Hyamic | Hyam | |||||||||||
Yaat |
Hyamic | Hyam | |||||||||||
Saik |
Hyamic | Hyam | |||||||||||
Dzar |
Hyamic | Hyam | |||||||||||
Hyam of Nok | Hyamic | Hyam | |||||||||||
Shamang | Hyamic | Samban | Shamang | Samang | Kaduna State, Kachia and Jema’a LGAs | ||||||||
Shang |
Hyamic | Kushampa | u-ʃaŋ pl. aʃaŋ | ʃaŋ | Kaduna State, Kachia and Jema’a LGAs. The Shang live in two settlements, Kushampa A and B. Kushampa A is on the road between Kurmin Jibrin and Kubacha on the Jere road. | ||||||||
Zhire | Hyamic | Kenyi | Kaduna State, Kachia and Jema’a LGAs | no data | |||||||||
Ashe |
Koro | Ache | únɛ́r ìzɛ̀ sg. Bɛ̀zɛ̀ pl. | Ìzɛ̀ | The Ashe share a common ethnonym with the Tinɔr-Myamya (q.v.) which is Uzar pl. Bazar for the people and Ìzar for the language. This name is the origin of the term Ejar. | Koron Ache | 35,000 including Tinɔr-Myamya (Barrett 1972). 8 villages (2008) between Katugal and Kubacha. | Kaduna State, Kagarko LGA, Nasarawa State, Karu LGA | |||||
Tinɔr-Myamya cluster |
Koro | Tinɔr-Myamya | The Tinɔr-Myamya peoples actually have no common name for themselves, but refer to individual villages when speaking, and apply noun-class prefixes to the stem. | Begbere-Ejar. The Tinɔr-Myamya share a common ethnonym with the Ashe (q.v.) which is Uzar pl. Bazar for the people and Ìzar for the language. This name is the origin of the term Ejar. | Koro Agwe, Agwere, Koro Makama | 35,000 including Ashe (1972 Barrett) | Kaduna State, Kagarko LGA | The name Begbere comes from Bàgbwee, a Myamya village, and Ejar from Ìzar (see 2.A). There has been a recent proposal to adopt the name DAWN for Koro as a whole. | |||||
Tinor |
Koro | Tinɔr-Myamya | Waci | iTinɔr | uTinɔr pl. baTinɔr | Waci [widely adopted name], Ala, Koron Ala, Koro Makama | Seven villages south and west of Kubacha. Uca, Unɛr, Ùsám, Marke, Pànkòrè, Ùtúr, Gɛshɛberẽ | ||||||
Myamya |
Koro | Tinɔr-Myamya | Koro Myamya = Miamia = Miyamiya | Three villages north and west of Kubacha. Ùshɛ̀, Bàgàr [includes Kúràtǎm, Ùcɛr and Bɔ̀dṹ] and Bàgbwee. | |||||||||
Nyankpa | Koro | Mbgwende=Ambofa [Bade dialect], Ambo Tem [Panda, Tattara, Buzi]. Tattara is said to be the ‘standard’ form of Yeskwa. | Nnaŋkpa pl. Anaŋkpa | Nyankpa | Yasgua, Yeskwa | Sarogbon [a greeting] | 13,000 (1973 SIL) | Nasarawa State, Kauru LGA; Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA | |||||
Gwara | Koro | Idun | iGwara | uŋGwara sg. aGwara pl. | Gora | Five villages [2012] | Kaduna State, Kagarko, Jaba LGAs | ||||||
Idun | Koro | Nyankpa-Idun | Idṹ | Udṹ sg. Adun, Adṹ pl. | Dũya [‘language of home’] | Adong | Jaba Lungu, Ungu, Jaba Gengere [‘Jaba of the slopes’] | 1,500 (NAT 1949). 21 villages [2008] | Kaduna State, Jema’a, Jaba LGAs; Nasarawa State, Karu LGA | ||||
Gyong | Gyongic | Agoma, Kagoma | Gyong | Gong | Gwong, Gyong | 6,250 (1934 HDG) | Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA | ||||||
Kamantan | Gyongic | Kamanton = Kamantan | Angan | 3,600 (NAT 1949); 10,000 (1972 Barrett) | Kaduna State, Kachia LGA | ||||||||
Ekhwa |
Northern | [Iku status uncertain], Gora, Ankwa | [Iku]–Gora–Ankwa | ékhwá | sg. énéjì pl. ánárè | Ahua | Ehwa | Towns; Gora, Ankwa | Kaduna State, Kachia LGA | ||||
Kadara cluster |
Northern | Kadara | |||||||||||
Eda |
Northern | Kadara | Adara | Ànda pl. Àda | Èdà | Kadara | 22,000 (NAT 1949); 40,000 (1972 Barrett). Towns: Adunu, Amale, Dakalo, Ishau, Kurmin Iya, Kateri, Bishini, Doka (Kaduna road) | Kaduna State, Kachia LGA; Niger State, Paikoro LGA | |||||
Edra |
Northern | Kadara | Àndara pl. Àdara | Èdrà | Kadara | Towns; Maru, Kufana, Rimau, Kasuwan Magani, Iri | Kaduna State, Kachia, Kajuru LGAs | ||||||
Enezhe |
Northern | Kadara | Àndara pl. Àdara | Èdrà | Kadara | Towns; Maru, Kufana, Rimau, Kasuwan Magani, Iri | Kaduna State, Kachia, Kajuru LGAs | ||||||
Kulu | Northwestern | Ikolu, Ikulu | Ankulu | Bekulu | 6,000 (NAT 1949) | Kaduna State, Kachia LGA | |||||||
Ikryo |
Northwestern | sg. à-kró pl. ā-kró | ìkryó | West Kuturmi | Two villages | Kaduna State, Kachia LGA | |||||||
Obiro |
Northwestern | sg. óbìrò pl. òbírò | ìbìrò | West Kuturmi | Antara village | Kaduna State, Kachia LGA | |||||||
Ajiya |
Northwestern | Ajuli | Ajiya | Ajiya | Idon, Idong, Idon-Doka-Makyali | 3 towns | Kaduna State, Kachia LGA | ||||||
Ajuwa-Ajegha |
Northwestern | Ajuwa | Ajuwa | Towns; Kalla, Afogo, Iburu, Idon, Makyali | Kaduna State, Kajuru LGA |
Footnotes
- ^
- ^ Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
References
- Blench, Roger (2008). Prospecting proto-Plateau. Manuscript.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 3.0 license.
External links
- Plateau materials from Roger Blench