Ahwai language

Last updated
Ahwai
Ndunic
indùn, hanyeŋ, ìʃákárá
Region Nigeria
EthnicityAhwai people
Native speakers
15,000 (2006) [1]
Dialects
  • Ndun
  • Nyeng
  • Shakara
Language codes
ISO 639-3 nfd
Glottolog ahwa1235
Nandu
Personaner andùn
Peoplebener andùn
Languageindùn
Ningon
Personanyeŋ
Peoplebanyeŋ
Languagehanyeŋ
Tari
Personkùʃákárá
Peopleúʃàkárá
Languageìʃákárá

Ahwai, also called the Ndunic languages (formerly Nandu-Tari), is a Plateau language cluster spoken to the southwest of Fadan Karshi in Sanga LGA, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Most villages are located at the foot of the Ahwai Mountains in Kaduna State. [2]

Contents

Dialects

There are three mutually intelligible dialects:

Blench (2008) classified them as distinct Ndunic languages. However, that same year Ethnologue merged them as a single language.

Ahwai is a self-designated term used to refer to speakers of all three Ndunic languages. [3]

Ndun

Ndun is also known by the Hausa name Nandu. Ndun villages are Ànkpòŋ, Anfufalǐm, Ŋ̀bòk, Ànkàrà, Bányìn, and Ungwar Rimi. [4]

In Nince village, Kaduna State, the Nisam (Nince) people have all shifted to Ndun. The Nisam language remains undocumented. [5]

Nyeng

Nyeng is spoken by about 2,000 speakers in Adu and other villages in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The Nyeng people used to live on the hill of ifyal anyeŋ. Today, their villages are: [6]

Nyeng nameHausa name
AduNingon Kirya
Pɔ̀hɔ́kUngwan Giginya
Pok Kyɔ́Ungwan Dakaci
Ungwan RimiNingon Titi

A word list of Nyeng was collected by Roger Blench and Barau Kato in 2003.

Shakara

The main settlements of the Shakara are Jije Fyal, Nggwakum, Akayi, Apɔhɔt, Telehwe, Kobo, Koba, Nggwa Dauda, Nggwa Mangoro, Nggwa Igyan, Barib, and formerly Nggwa Yiri (now uninhabited). [7]

Names and locations

Below is a list of Ndunic language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019). [8]

LanguageClusterAlternate spellingsOwn name for language Endonym(s)Other names (location-based)Other names for languageSpeakersLocation(s)
Ndun-Nyeng-Shakara clusterNdun-Nyeng-ShakaraAhwai [recently adopted name for the three languages]
Ndun Ndun-Nyeng-ShakaraNandu
Nyeng Ndun-Nyeng-ShakaraNingon
Shakara Ndun-Nyeng-ShakaraìShákárásg. kùShákárá pl. úShákáráTariShakara 3000 (Blench est. 2003) Kaduna State, a line of villages 7 km. due west of Mayir on the Fadan Karshe-Wamba road

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References

  1. ↑ Ahwai at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
  2. ↑ Roger Blench: Ndunic materials
  3. 1 2 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
  4. ↑ Blench, Roger M. 2007. The Ndun language of Central Nigeria and its affinities.
  5. ↑ Blench, Roger M. 2012. Akpondu, Nigbo, Bəbər and Nisam: moribund or extinct languages of central Nigeria Babur.
  6. ↑ Blench, Roger M. 2006. The Nyeng language of Central Nigeria and its affinities.
  7. ↑ Blench, Roger. 2014. The Shakara (Tari) language of Central Nigeria and its affinities.
  8. ↑ Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
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