Central Plateau languages
The twenty Central Plateau languages are a residual branch of the Plateau family spoken in central Nigeria. Tyap (or Katab) has 130,000 speakers, and the closely related Jju (or Kaje) has well over 300,000. Hyam (or Jabba) has another 100,000. Cori is famous for being one of very few languages with six tone levels, though only three are needed for writing.
| Central Plateau | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Nigeria |
| Linguistic classification | Niger–Congo
|
| Subdivisions |
|
| Glottolog | None sout3163 (Irigwe–Izeric–Tyapic) nort3184 (Hyamic–Koroic–Gyongic) nort3169 (North Plateau) |
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 dialect cluster and is obviously valid. However, most of the first-level groups (Hyamic, North Plateau, Gyongic, Koro) are not self-evident and may continue to be revised.
- Rigwe (Irigwe)
- Izeric
- Tyapic
- Hyamic
- Koro
- Gyongic
- 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 linguistic area consisting of the Rigwe, Tyapic, Izeric, Hyamic, Koro, and Gyongic groups.[1]
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 (Kwan), Southern (Miango) | Aregwe, Irigwe | ɾȉgʷȅ, Rigwe | ƴîɾìgʷȅ pl. yíɾìgʷȅ | Miango, Nyango, Kwal, 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 M. 2018. Nominal affixes and number marking in the Plateau languages of Central Nigeria. In John R. Watters (ed.), East Benue-Congo: Nouns, pronouns, and verbs, 107–172. Berlin: Language Science Press. doi:10.5281/zenodo.1314325
- 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
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