Ngas language

Last updated
Ngas
Angas
Native to Nigeria
Region Plateau State
Ethnicity Angas people
Native speakers
(400,000 cited 1998) [1]
Dialects
  • Hill
  • Plain
Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3 anc
Glottolog ngas1240
Afro asiatic peoples nigeria.png
Ethnic territories (tan) of the Ngas-speaking people (Angas) in Nigeria

Ngas, or Angas, is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Plateau State, Nigeria. The language has two dialects: Hill Angas and Plain Angas. [1] Ngas is one of the major languages in Plateau State. The 1952 census puts it as the largest ethnic group in Plateau State. Retired General Yakubu Gowon is a prominent Nigerian who is of Ngas ethnicity.

Contents

Ngas ethnic sons who are in the academia and military including Gen. Shipi, Gen. Isa Goryong, AVM. Danbaba, AVM Golit, Prof. Jurbe Molwus, Prof. Ketkukka, prof. Rinji Ngolong, prof.Nenfort Gomwalk, Pro. Sylvester shikyil( SAN), Prof. Enock wuritka Gotring, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe, Prof. Umaru Gomwalk, Prof. Noel wannang, Pro. Chris Goson Piwuna.

Neighbouring languages

Bəlnəŋ is an A3 West Chadic language closely related to Angas. It is spoken by about 500 people in the single village of Langung, which is surrounded by Tal villages in the east and Miship villages in the west. [2]

Speakers of Sur, a Plateau language, are surrounded by Ngas speakers, but Sur nevertheless continues to be a well-maintained language. [3]

The Ngas language has also undergone extensive influence from Tarok. [4]

Phonology

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i iː u uː
Close-mid eː ə əː oː
Open-mid ɛ ɔ
Open a aː

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Palato-
alveolar 		Palatal Velar Glottal
plain lab. pal. plain lab. plain lab. plain lab. plain lab. pal.
Nasal m mʷ mʲ n nʷ ɲ ɲʷ ŋ
Stop/
Affricate 		voiceless p pʷ pʲ t t͡ʃ t͡ʃʷ k kʷ ʔ
voiced b bʷ bʲ d d͡ʒ d͡ʒʷ ɡ ɡʷ
vd. prenasal ᵐb ⁿd ⁿd͡ʒ ᵑɡ
vl. prenasal ᵐp ⁿt͡ʃ ᵑk
implosive ɓ ɓʷ ɗ ɠ ɠʲʷ ɠʲ
Fricative voiceless f fʷ fʲ s ʃ ʃʷ h
voiced v vʷ z ʒ ʒʷ ɣ
vl. prenasal ⁿʃ
vd. prenasal ⁿʒ ⁿʒʷ
Approximant w l lʷ j
Trill voiced r rʷ
prenasal ⁿr

Writing system

Ngas alphabet [6]
abɓcdɗdyeǝfghḥijkl
mnṇnyoprsshtuvwyzẓʼ

Notes

  1. 1 2 Ngas at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ↑ Blench, Roger. 2017. Current research on the A3 West Chadic languages.
  3. ↑ Blench, Roger. 2004. Tarok and related languages of east-central Nigeria.
  4. ↑ Longtau, Selbut (25–26 March 2004). Some Historical Inferences from Lexical Borrowings and Traditions of Origins in the Tarokoid/Chadic Interface. International Symposium on Endangered Languages in Contact: Nigeria’s Plateau Languages. Hamburg: Asien-Afrika-Institut, Universität Hamburg.
  5. ↑ Jungraithmayr, Herrmann; Holubová, Miroslava (2016). The Ngas Language (Shik Ngas): Fundamentals of Grammar, Texts, Dictionary. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  6. ↑ Hartell 1993.

Further reading


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