Masa languages

Last updated
Masa
Geographic
distribution
southwestern Chad and northern Cameroon
Linguistic classification Afro-Asiatic
Subdivisions
  • North Masa
  • South Masa
Glottolog masa1323

The Masa languages are a group of closely related Chadic languages of southwestern Chad and northern Cameroon.

Contents

Languages

The Masa languages listed in Blench (2006) are: [1]

The exonym Zime is used for the Herdé, Ngeté, Pévé, and Mesmé. Similarly, Kaɗo is a generic name for the Peve–Kaɗo languages, a couple of which are called Lamé as well.

Shryock (1997)

Shryock (1997: 32) [2] subgroups the Masa languages as:

Numerals

Comparison of numerals in individual languages: [3]

Language12345678910
Herdé (Zime) ɗàwhʷóèɓhī́ndʒìʔfíɗíʔvàɬkāŋɡīʔsēɗātʃɔ̀hòʔtēfer̄ɗɛwɡùɓ
Marba (1)mbàhíndífíɗíváɬkárɡéyákíɗìzíyàʔàklávándíɬéŋádóɡò
Marba (2)mbàɦìndífíɗívàɬkàraɡàyàsìdìzìjáklàvàndìɮèèŋàdòk / dòɡò
Masana (Massa) kèp, tù, tùmmàʔɦìdífìɗìvàɬkàrɡìjàsìdìjàɡlàvàndíɮèŋèdòòk
Mesme (Zime) ɗāwhɔ̀ɓhīndìfíɗívàtlkāndīsēɗātʃɔ̃hō̃tɛ̄rfīɗɛ̄wɡùɓ / ɡùp
Musey (Musei) (1)dèwɓàhíndífídífàɬkárɡìyákídísìyákálvàndìɬèŋŋèdòɡò
Musey (Musei) (2)dèwmbàɦìndìfídívàɬkàrɡìjákìdìzìjákàlvàndìɮèŋèdòk / dòɡò
Pévé (1)ɗawhoɓhínjiʔfə́ɗiʔváɬkánkiʔsyéɗaʔ *tsóhoʔtʃéfaɗewɡuɓ
Pévé (2)ɗaohwōɓhínjīfúɗīvātlkánkísédātʃóhōtʃéfāɗēoɡwúɓ

See also

Related Research Articles

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Zumaya is an extinct Chadic language once spoken in Cameroon. It is known only from a few words recorded from the last speaker. It may have been divergent within the Masa branch of Chadic.

Marba is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken by the Azumeina peoples of Chad as their first language. It is also the name of one of the Azumeina peoples.

West Chadic languages Afro-Asiatic language branch of West Africa

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Montol is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Plateau State, Nigeria. Dialects are Baltap-Lalin and Montol. Roger Blench (2017) uses the name Tel or Tɛɛl for Montol.

Pyapun is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Plateau State, Nigeria. It is spoken in about 10 villages east of the Panyam-Shendam road.

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The Bole–Tangale languages are a branch of West Chadic languages that are spoken in various states of northeastern Nigeria.

South Bauchi languages

The South Bauchi languages are a branch of West Chadic languages that are spoken in Bauchi State and Plateau State, Nigeria.

Dazawa or Daza is listed by Blench (2006) as a Chadic language within the Bole group. It is allegedly spoken in a few villages of Darazo LGA, Bauchi State, Nigeria. Glottolog (2017) lists the language as "unattested". Newman (2019) lists Daza as a possible synonym of Bole.

Musgu is a cluster of closely related language varieties of the Biu–Mandara subgroup of the Chadic languages spoken in Cameroon and Chad. The endonym is Mulwi. Blench (2006) classifies the three varieties as separate languages. Speakers of the extinct related language Muskum have switched to one of these.

Polci is an Afro-Asiatic language of Bauchi State, Nigeria. It is part of the Barawa cluster, which is in turn part of the West Chadic language family.

Ngeté-Herdé, also known as Lamé, is an Afro-Asiatic dialect cluster of Chad. Varieties are:

Peve language Afro-Asiatic language of Chad and Cameroon

The Pévé language, sometimes referred to as Lamé, is a member of the Masa branch of the Chadic family that is spoken in parts of Cameroon and the Republic of Chad.

References

  1. Blench, 2006. The Afro-Asiatic Languages: Classification and Reference List (ms)
  2. Shryock, Aaron. 1997. The classification of the Masa group of languages. Studies in African Linguistics 26(1): 29‒62.
  3. Chan, Eugene (2019). "The Afro-Asiatic Language Phylum". Numeral Systems of the World's Languages.