Masa | |
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Geographic distribution | southwestern Chad and northern Cameroon |
Linguistic classification | Afro-Asiatic
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Subdivisions |
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Glottolog | masa1323 |
The Masa languages are a group of closely related Chadic languages of southwestern Chad and northern Cameroon.
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: 32) [2] subgroups the Masa languages as:
Comparison of numerals in individual languages: [3]
Language | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Herdé (Zime) | ɗàw | hʷóèɓ | hī́ndʒìʔ | fíɗíʔ | vàɬ | kāŋɡīʔ | sēɗā | tʃɔ̀hòʔ | tēfer̄ɗɛw | ɡùɓ |
Marba (1) | tú | mbà | híndí | fíɗí | váɬ | kárɡéyá | kíɗìzíyà | ʔàklávándí | ɬéŋá | dóɡò |
Marba (2) | tù | mbà | ɦìndí | fíɗí | vàɬ | kàraɡàyà | sìdìzìjá | klàvàndì | ɮèèŋà | dòk / dòɡò |
Masana (Massa) | kèp, tù, tùm | màʔ | ɦìdí | fìɗì | vàɬ | kàrɡìjà | sìdìjà | ɡlàvàndí | ɮèŋè | dòòk |
Mesme (Zime) | ɗāw | hɔ̀ɓ | hīndì | fíɗí | vàtl | kāndī | sēɗā | tʃɔ̃hō̃ | tɛ̄rfīɗɛ̄w | ɡùɓ / ɡùp |
Musey (Musei) (1) | dèw | ɓà | híndí | fídí | fàɬ | kárɡìyá | kídísìyá | kálvàndì | ɬèŋŋè | dòɡò |
Musey (Musei) (2) | dèw | mbà | ɦìndì | fídí | vàɬ | kàrɡìjá | kìdìzìjá | kàlvàndì | ɮèŋè | dòk / dòɡò |
Pévé (1) | ɗaw | hoɓ | hínjiʔ | fə́ɗiʔ | váɬ | kánkiʔ | syéɗaʔ * | tsóhoʔ | tʃéfaɗew | ɡuɓ |
Pévé (2) | ɗao | hwōɓ | hínjī | fúɗī | vātl | kánkí | sédā | tʃóhō | tʃéfāɗēo | ɡwúɓ |
The Chadic languages form a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are spoken in parts of the Sahel. They include 150 languages spoken across northern Nigeria, southern Niger, southern Chad, the Central African Republic, and northern Cameroon. The most widely spoken Chadic language is Hausa, a lingua franca of much of inland Eastern West Africa.
The Biu–Mandara or Central Chadic languages of the Afro-Asiatic family are spoken in Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon.
The three dozen East Chadic languages of the Chadic family are spoken in Chad and Cameroon.
Chad has two official languages, French and Modern Standard Arabic, and over 120 indigenous languages. A vernacular version of Arabic, Chadian Arabic, is a lingua franca and the language of commerce, spoken by 40-60% of the population. The two official languages have fewer speakers than Chadian Arabic. Standard Arabic is spoken by around 615,000 speakers. French is widely spoken in the main cities such as N'Djamena and by most men in the south of the country. Most schooling is in French. The language with the most first-language speakers is probably Ngambay, with around one million speakers.
Mayo-Kebbi Est is one of the 23 regions of Chad. Its capital is Bongor. It is composed of the northern areas of the former prefecture of Mayo-Kebbi.
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.
The West Chadic languages of the Afro-Asiatic family are spoken principally in Niger and Nigeria. They include Hausa, the most populous Chadic language and a major language of West Africa.
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.
Tal is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Plateau State, Nigeria. Tal is spoken in a cluster of 53 villages located east of the Panyam-Shendam road. There are 6 dialects of Tal, namely Bongmuut, Buzuk, Nbaal, Muɗak, Muɗong, and Takong.
The North Bauchi languages are a branch of West Chadic languages that are spoken in Bauchi State, northern Nigeria.
Ɗugwor is a Chadic language spoken in northern Cameroon. Blench (2006) considers Mikere dialect to be a separate language.
The Bole–Tangale languages are a branch of West Chadic languages that are spoken in various states of northeastern Nigeria.
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:
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.