South Bauchi languages

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South Bauchi
Barawa; B.3 West Chadic
Geographic
distribution		 Toro, Dass, Tafawa Balewa, Bauchi LGAs of Bauchi State and Kanam Plateau, Wase Plateau in Plateau State, Nigeria
Linguistic classification Afro-Asiatic
Glottolog west2800
West Chadic Languages.jpg
West Chadic per Newman (1977)
Main Chadic-speaking peoples in Nigeria Afro asiatic peoples nigeria.png
Main Chadic-speaking peoples in Nigeria

The South Bauchi languages (also called the B.3 West Chadic or Barawa languages) are a branch of West Chadic languages that are spoken in Bauchi State and Plateau State, Nigeria.

Contents

An extensive lexical survey of the South Bauchi languages had been carried out by Kiyoshi Shimizu from 1974 to 1975. [1] Another early survey was that of Gowers (1907), which included 42 languages of Bauchi. [2]

Languages

The South Bauchi languages include: [3]

South Bauchi languages

Roger Blench (2020) counted around 38 South Bauchi languages. [4]

Internal classification

Shimizu (1978)

Shimizu (1978) classifies the South Bauchi languages as follows. [1] Individual languages are highlighted in italics.

Blench (2021)

Roger Blench (2021) classifies the South Bauchi languages as follows. [5]

Names and locations

Below is a comprehensive list of South Bauchi language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019). [6]

LanguageBranchClusterDialectsAlternate spellingsOwn name for language Endonym(s)Other names (location-based)Other names for language Exonym(s)SpeakersLocation(s)Notes
Aja (extinct)ZaarNorth BauchiAjanciExtinct: formerly spoken at Kworko, Bauchi Stateno data
Das clusterZaarDasƁarawa8,830 (LA 1971) Bauchi State, Toro and Dass LGAs
Lukshi ZaarDasDәkshi1,130 (LA 1971)
Durr–Baraza ZaarDasBandas4,700 (LA 1971); 30–40,000 (Caron 2005) Bauchi State, Das LGA, Durr and Baraza villages
Zumbul ZaarDasBoodlәZumbulawa, DumbulawaSee Wandi Bauchi State, Das LGA, Zumbul town
Wandi ZaarDasWangday700 (including Zumbul) (LA 1971) Bauchi State, Das LGA, Wandi town
Dot ZaarDasDwatZoɗishérә́m zoɗiDott2,300 (LA 1971); a single large village. 37,582 (local census 2003). 7 wards (out of 11) speak ZoɗiSouth of Bauchi on the Dass road
Geji clusterZaarGejiKayauri, KaiyorawaƁarawa Bauchi State, Toro LGA
Mәgang ZaarGejiBolu, BuliMәg̣ àŋ1,250 (LA 1971), 'a few hundred' (Caron 2005)
Pyaalu ZaarGejiPelu, BeluPyààlù
Geji ZaarGejiGyaazәBagbaGezawa, Gaejawa650 (LA 1971), 1000 (Caron 2005). 20 villages (2007)Toro, Bauchi LGAs, Bauchi State
Buu ZaarGejiZarandaBùù750 (LA 1971), 'a few hundred' (Caron 2002)
Guus ZaarGuusƁarawaSayanci50,000 (1971 Schneeberg); 50,000 (1973 SIL) Bauchi State, Tafawa Balewa LGA. West of Tafawa Balewa town.
Guus ZaarGuusmur gúús (one person); Gùùs (people)vìì kә gúús (mouth of Guus)Sigidi, Sugudi, Sigdi, Segiddi775 (1950 HDG). 17 villages (Caron 2002)
Polci clusterZaarPolciƁarawa, Palsawa6,150 or more (1971) Bauchi State, Bauchi and Toro LGAs
Zul ZaarPolciZul is mutually comprehensible with MbaramBi ZuleNya Zule pl. Man ZuleMbarmi, BarmaZulawa2,400 (LA 1971). 15 villages (2007) Bauchi State, Bauchi and Toro LGAs
Mbaram ZaarPolciBarang, Mbaram250 CAPRO (1995a). One settlement only Bauchi State, Bauchi LGA
Dir ZaarPolciDiir'a few hundred' (Caron 2005)
Buli ZaarPolciBәlә600 (LA 1971), 4000 (CAPRO 1995a), 'a few hundred' (Caron 2005)
Langas ZaarPolciNyamzaxLundur200 (LA 1971), 'a few hundred' (Caron 2005)
Luri ZaarPolciLúr30 (1973 SIL), 2 (Caron 2002) Bauchi State, Bauchi LGA
Polci ZaarPolciPosә, Polshi, Palci, Pәlci2,950 (LA 1971); 70,000 (Caron 2005)
Zaar ZaarKal, Gambar Leere, LusaZaʼr, ZarVìk Zaar, VigzarZaar pl. Zàrsɛ̀SáyánciBàsáyè pl. Sáyáːwá, Saya, Seya, Seiyara [Saya terms are now considered derogatory]50,000 (1971 Schneeberg); 50,000 (1973 SIL) Bauchi State, Tafawa Balewa LGA. West of Tafawa Balewa town.
Zari clusterZaarZariƁarawa Bauchi State, Toro and Tafawa Balewa LGAs; Plateau State, Jos LGA
Zakshi ZaarZariZaksә2,950 (1950 HDG)
Boto ZaarZariBootBibot1,000 (1950 HDG)
Zari ZaarZariKopti, Kwapm
Zeem-Caari-Danshe-Dyarim clusterZaarZeem-Caari-Danshe-DyarimƁarawa Bauchi State, Toro LGA
Zeem (extinct)ZaarZeem-Caari-Danshe-DyarimExtinct (Caron 2005)
Tule (extinct)ZaarZeem-Caari-Danshe-DyarimTulaiExtinct (Caron 2005)
Danshe ZaarZeem-Caari-Danshe-DyarimExtinct (Caron 2005)
Chaari ZaarZeem-Caari-Danshe-DyarimTulaia 'few hundred' speakers (Caron 2005)
Dyarim ZaarZeem-Caari-Danshe-Dyarimone person Mәn Dyarim, people DyarimNdyarim TәKaiwariAbout 2000 ethnic Dyarim with about 100 fluent speakers (Blench 2005 est.)Their main settlement is about 7 km south of Toro town in Toro LGA (N10˚ 02, E 9˚ 04).
Lushi?ZaarZeem-Caari-Danshe-DyarimLukshiDokshi
Jimi Zaar250 (LA 1971); 400 (1973 SIL) Bauchi State, Darazo LGA
Kir–Balar clusterBoghomKir–Balar360 (LA 1971) (Kir only) Bauchi State, Bauchi LGAno data
Kir BoghomKir–Balarno data
Balar BoghomKir–BalarLarbawa50 CAPRO (1995a)no data
Boghom BoghomBurom, Burrum, Burma, Borrom, Boghorom, Bogghom, Bohom, BokiyimBurumawa9,500 (1952 W&B), 50,000 (1973 SIL) Plateau State, Kanam LGA
Mangas BoghomMaás180 (LA 1971) Bauchi State, Bauchi LGAno data
Guruntum–Mbaaru GuruntumBy settlements Dookà, Gàr, Gayàr, Kàràkara, Kuukù, and MbaarùGurutumGùrduŋ10,000 (1988 Jaggar) Bauchi State, Bauchi and Alkaleri LGAs
Ju Guruntum150 (LA 1971) Bauchi State, Bauchi LGA
Tala Guruntum Bauchi State, Bauchi LGA, Zungur district
Zangwal Guruntum Bauchi State, Bauchi LGAno data

Phonology

Consonants

Like the other West Chadic languages, South Bauchi languages have a rich consonant inventory. They also generally have the lateral fricatives /ɬ, ɮ/, whereas the West Chadic A languages have not preserved such consonants. [4]

Labial Alveolar Alveolo-palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Stop p b t d k g ʔ
Implosive ɓ ɗ
Fricative f v s z ( ʃ ) ( ʒ ) ɣ ( h )
Tap ɾ
Approximant w j
Lateral approximant l
Lateral fricative ɬ ɮ
Vowels

Blench (2020) proposes that Proto-South Bauchi had a 6-vowel system consisting of /i, ɨ, u, ɛ, ɔ, a/, with length contrast. [4]

Tones

South Bauchi languages have 2-3 tone levels, with Proto-South Bauchi likely having three tones like the nearby A3 West Chadic languages. Some languages also have contour tones (falling or rising). [4]

Morphology

Like the neighbouring A3 West Chadic languages but unlike Hausa, South Bauchi languages do not usually have plural nouns, although certain words for persons such as ‘woman’, ‘child’, and sometimes ‘man/person’ have suppletive nominal forms. [4] Blench (2021) hypothesises that this may be due to contact with Adamawa languages. [7]

Stop consonants at the ends of morphemes are underlyingly voiceless. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plateau languages</span> Group of Benue–Congo languages of central Nigeria

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Bauchi languages</span>

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References

  1. 1 2 Shimizu, Kiyoshi. 1978. The Southern Bauchi group of Chadic languages: a survey report. (Africana Marburgensia: Sonderheft, 2.) Marburg/Lahn: Africana Marburgensia. 48pp.
  2. ↑ Gowers, W.F. 1907. Forty-two vocabularies of languages spoken in Bauchi Province, N. Nigeria. Ms. 77pp.
  3. ↑ Blench, Roger. 2006. The Afro-Asiatic Languages: Classification and Reference List (ms)
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Blench, Roger. 2020. The South Bauchi languages of Central Nigeria: a fresh view based on recent fieldwork . CALL 50. Leiden University, August 31, 2020.
  5. ↑ Blench, Roger (2021-01-01). "West Chadic classification 2021".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ↑ Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
  7. ↑ Blench, Roger. 2021. The erosion of number marking in West Chadic Roger Blench . WOCAL, Leiden.

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