Lopa language

Lopa
Rerang
Native to	Nigeria
Region	Niger State
Native speakers	(5,000 cited 1996) [1]
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Benue–Congo Kainji Kainji Lake? Lopa
Dialects	Ollop Urcibar (Shuba)
Language codes
ISO 639-3	lop
Glottolog	lopa1238

Rerang
Person	dɔ̀ɾìɾã́ŋ
People	òːɾìɾã́ŋ
Language	òlːèɾã́ŋ (Olleran)

Ollop
Person	dɔ̀ɾóp
People	òːɾɔ́p
Language	òlːɔ́p (Ollop)

Urcibar (Shuba)
Person	dɔ̀tʃíbár
People	òːtʃíbár
Language	ɘ̀ɹtʃíbár (Urcibar)

Lopa consists of a pair of minor Kainji languages ^[2] of Nigeria. The Lopa people neighbouring the Busa language have shifted to that language.

The two languages are Rop (Ollop) and Urcibar (Shuba). Additionally, there is a native name for both dialects as a whole: Rerang, which is unusual in West Kainji languages. ^[3]

Blench (2019) lists Tsupamini as a related variety. ^[4]

McGill (2012) also gives the alternate name Oleran for Lopa. ^[5]

Dialects

The name Lopa likely comes from the name lópár (Lapar), which refers to both the Rop and the Shuba. Cover terms referring to both Urcibar and Ollop speakers are [dɔ̀ɾìɾáŋ̃ ] (one person), [òːɾìɾáŋ̃ ] (many people), and the language [òlːèɾáŋ̃]. ^[3]

• Urcibar (Shuba) is spoken in the major villages of ò̃tʃébá (Cifamini), tʷò̃tʃíɡí (Gungun Tagwaye), ò̃sán (Kwanga, different from ò̃sán above); and the minor villages of àjũ ́̃m (Yumu), àːʔʲɔ́ (Bakari), ámbú (Ambu shiri). Urcibar is actually more closely related to Shen (Laru) than to Rop. ^[3]

• Ollop (Rop) is spoken in the major villages of àɾóp (Lopa town), ù̃jẽ ́mé (Gafara), rʷáːʃé (Raishe); and the minor villages of ʔʷéːɾà (Tungan Masu), ò̃sán (Bakin Ruwa), lópár (Lapar), áñ wá ̃ (Ana). Lopa speakers call themselves [dɔ̀ɾóp] (one person), [òːɾɔ́p] (many people), and the language [òlːɔ́p]. They refer to Urcibar speakers as [dɔ̀tʃíbár] (one person), [òːtʃíbár] (many people), and to their language as [ɘ̀ɹtʃíbár]. ^[3]

References

1. Lopa at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
2. Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Lopa". Glottolog 3.0 . Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
3. Blench, Roger (2012). "The Kainji languages of northwestern and central Nigeria" (PDF). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
4. Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
5. McGill, Stuart. 2012. The Kainji languages. Ms, School of Oriental and African Studies, London, 30 August 2012.