Plateau languages

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Plateau
Platoid
Geographic
distribution		Plateau, Kaduna, and Nasarawa states, Nigeria
Linguistic classificationNiger–Congo?
Glottologbenu1248
The Plateau languages shown within Nigeria

The forty or so Plateau languages are a tentative group of Benue–Congo languages spoken by 15 million people on the Jos Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Nasarawa State and in adjacent areas in central Nigeria.[citation needed]

Berom and Eggon have the most speakers. Most Plateau languages are threatened and have around 2,000-10,000 speakers.[1]

Defining features of the Plateau family have only been published in manuscript form (Blench 2008). Many of the languages have highly elaborate phonology systems that make comparison with poor data difficult.

Branches and locations[edit]

Below is a list of major Plateau branches and their primary locations (centres of diversity) based on Blench (2019).[2]

Distributions of Plateau branches[2]
Branch Primary locations
Alumic Akwanga LGA, Nasarawa State
Beromic Barkin Ladi, Jos North, Jos South and Riyom LGAs, Plateau State; and Jema'a LGAs, Kaduna State
Central Jaba, Jema'a, Kachia, Kagarko, Kajuru, Kaura, Kauru and Zangon Kataf LGAs, Kaduna State; and Bassa, Jos East and Jos North LGAs, Plateau State; Toro and Tafawa Balewa LGAs, Bauchi State
East Mangu LGA, Plateau State
Ndunic Sanga LGA, Kaduna State
Ninzic Jema'a and Sanga LGAs, Kaduna State; and Akwanga LGA, Nasarawa State
South Akwanga, Nasarawa Eggon, Lafia LGAs, Nasarawa State; Bwari LGA, Federal Capital Territory
Tarokoid Langtang North, Langtang South, Wase LGAs, Plateau State

The Plateau languages are highly typologically and lexically diverse. For instance, Roger Blench (2022) notes that Beromic is more internally diverse than all of West Chadic A3.[3]

Classification[edit]

Little work has been done on the Plateau languages, and the results to date are tentative.

Blench (2018)[edit]

Blench (2018:112) gives the following classification of the Plateau languages.[4]

Blench (2008)[edit]

The following classification is taken from Blench (2008).[5] Most of the branches are discrete constituents, though Central is a residual grouping and there are doubts about some of the purported Ninzic languages. Plateau languages as a whole share a number of isoglosses, as do all branches apart from Tarokoid.

Glottolog adds the Yukubenic languages.[6] Blench, however, places Yukubenic in the Jukunoid family,[7] following Shimizu (1980).[8]

Gerhardt (1983)[edit]

Classification of Plateau languages by Gerhardt (1983),[9] based on Maddieson (1972):[10]

  • Plateau
    • Plateau 1a, 1b (Kainji languages)
    • Plateau 2
      • Yeskwa, Lungu, Koro
      • Kamanton, Kagoma, Jaba cluster, Nandu-Tari
      • Afuzare, Kaje, Iregwe
      • Kagoro, Ataka, Katab (including Kachicheri, Kafanchan), Marwa
      • Kadara, Kuturmi, Ikulu, Idong, Doka, Iku-Gora-Ankwa
    • Plateau 3
      • Migili (?, L. G.)
      • Birom (including Aboro, Afango)
      • Aten
    • Plateau 4
      • Ayu
      • Kwanka-Boi-Bijim-Shall-Zwall
      • Ninzam, Mada, Gwantu, Numana-Nunku, Nindem, Kaningkon, Kanufi
      • Rukuba
    • Plateau 5
      • Yashi
      • Eggon, Nungu, Ake, Jidda-Abu
    • Plateau 6
      • Pyam
      • Horom
    • Plateau 7
      • Tarok (= Yergam)
      • Bashar
      • Pai
    • Plateau 8
      • Mabo-Barkul
    • Plateau 9
      • Eloyi
    • Plateau 10
      • Turkwam, Arum-Chesu

Note: Plateau 1 languages, consisting of Plateau 1a and 1b, are now classified separately as Kainji languages.

Language list[edit]

List of Plateau languages given by Blench (2018):[4]

  • Plateau
    • Northwest
      • Eda
      • Edra
      • Acro
      • Obiro
      • Kulu
      • Ẹjẹgha (Idon)
      • Doka
      • Ẹhwa (Iku-Gora-Ankwe)
    • Beromic
    • West-Central (area)
      • Izeric
        • Izere of Fobur
        • Icèn, Ganàng, Fəràn
      • Rigwe
      • Southern Zaria (now Southern Kaduna)
      • Tyapic
        • Jju
        • Tyap
        • Gworok
        • Takad (Attakar)
        • Tyecarak (Kacicere)
        • Sholyio
        • Fantswam (Kafancan)
        • Tyuku
      • Koro
        • Ashe
        • Tinɔr (Waci-Myamya)
        • Idũ, Gwara
        • Nyankpa-Barde
      • Hyamic
        • Shamang
        • Cori
        • Hyam
        • Zhire
        • Shang
      • Gyongic
        • Gyong (Kagoma)
        • Nɡhan (Kamanton)
    • Ninzic
      • Ninzo
      • Ce
      • Bu-Niŋkada
      • Mada
      • Numana-Nunku-Gwantu-Numbu
      • Ningye-Ninka
      • Anib
      • Ninkyob
      • Nindem
      • Nungu
      • Ayu
    • Ndunic
      • Ndun (Tari)
    • Alumic
      • Toro, Alumu-Təsu
      • Hasha
      • Sambe
    • Southern
      • Eggonic
        • Eggon
        • Ake
      • Jilic
        • Jili
        • Jijili
    • Southeastern (?)
      • Fyem
      • Horom
      • Bo-Rukul
    • Tarokoid
      • Tarok
      • Pe (Pai)
      • Kwang-Ya-Bijim-Legeri
      • Yaŋkam (Bashar)
      • Sur (Tapshin)
    • Eloyi

Nisam is a presumed Plateau language once spoken in Nince Village, Kaduna State, but its place within the Plateau branch cannot be ascertained due to the lack of linguistic data. In 2005, there was only one speaker of Nisam.[11]

Morphology[edit]

Proto-Plateau nominal prefixes:[4]

  • *ni- (corresponding to Bantu noun class 9 *n- for animals and inanimate objects)
  • *V- for person, *bV- for people
  • *N- prefixes, homorganic with the following consonant
  • *nV- ~ *mV- (both singular and plural), which mark liquids, mass nouns, and abstract nouns

Only some of the languages have nominal classes, as the Bantu languages have, where in others these have eroded. In many Plateau languages, many CV- prefixes have become fossilised, replaced by V- prefixes, or disappeared altogether.[4] The large numbers of consonants in many languages is due to the erosion of noun-class prefixes.

In Plateau languages, adjectives and possessive forms generally follow the noun.

Reconstructions[edit]

Some Proto-Plateau quasi-reconstructions proposed by Roger Blench (2008) are:

No. Gloss Proto-Plateau
1. tree #ku-kon V-kon
2. leaf #(g)yaNa
4. dew #-myeŋe
12. wind #-gbulu
21. hunger #igbyoŋ
25. ear #ku-toŋ(ɔ)
26. mouth #ku-nyu
30. female breast #ambɛŋ
31. navel #i-kumbu
32. bone #-kupu
35. blood #-(n)ji
64. twelve/ten #isok-

Numerals[edit]

Comparison of numerals in individual languages:[12]

Classification Language 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
South Lijili lō̥ àbē̥ àtʃé̥ ànàró̥ àsó̥ mìnzí mútá rúnó̥ zàtʃé̥ zàbè̥
Beromic Aten (Iten) dáy fà tàt / tʃàt nàːs wí tàːrà nìtà nàràs dùːdʒàŋ dùːbɔ̀
Beromic Berom (Birom) ɡwīnìŋ / (d)īnìŋ (Roots) -bā -tāt -nāːs -tūŋūn -tī̄ː mìn -tāːmà (5+ 2) -rwīːt (5+ 3) syāː-tāt (12- 3) syāː-tāt (12- 2)
Central, South-Central Irigwe (Rigwe) ˀzrú ˀʍʲè ˀt͡sʲɛ̀ ˀni ˀt͡ɕʷòô rít͡sʲɛ́ nat͡sʲɛ́ klaǹvà kruvájá ʃʷá
Central, South-Central Jju (Kaje) əyriŋ əhwa ətat ənaai əpfwɔn əkitat (2 x 3) ətiyriŋ ənaimbvwak əkumbvuyriŋ swak
Central, South-Central Tyap (Kataf) əɲiuŋ/ ʒyiuŋ əfeaŋ/ sweaŋ ətat/ t͡sat ənaai/ ɲaai əfwuon/ t͡swuon ətaa ənatat əninai/ ərinai əkubunyiuŋ swak
Northern Ikulu (Kulu) íńjí íńpààlá íńtáá íńnāā íńcūū íńcúnú tɔ́ɔ̀pāā níǹnāā (2 x 4) ? tɔ́ɔ̀llāā nùkɔ̄p
Southeastern Fyam (Pyem) kʲéŋ por táár naas tóón táárin támor tʃínít téres dukút
Tarokoid Tarok (Yergam) ùzɨ̀ŋ ùpàrɨ́m ùʃáɗɨ́ŋ ùnèɗɨ́ŋ ùtúkún ùk͡pə́ɗɨ́ŋ ùfàŋʃát ùnə̀nnè ùfàŋzɨ́ŋtɨ́ŋ ùɡ͡bə́pei
Western, Northwestern, Hyamic Hyam (Jabba) ʒìnì fe̠ri taat naaŋ twoo twaani (5+ 1) ? twarfo (5+ 2) ? naaraŋ (2 x 4) ? mbwan kɔb (10 - 1) kɔ́b
Western, Northwestern, Koro Yeskwa (Nyenkpa) ènyí ènvà èntât ènnà èntyúò èncí tònvà tóndát tyúôrá ókóp
Western, Southwestern, A Mada (Madda) ɡyə̄r ywā tar nlyɛ̄ tun tānnɛ̀n tāmɡ͡bā tāndà tīyār ɡùr
Western, Southwestern, A Ninzo jír há tár nə̄(s) ʈʷí tānì tāŋɡ͡bā tāndàr tīr(s) wūr
Western, Southwestern, A Rukuba (Che) ɡyín -hàk -tát -nàs -túŋ tàiŋ taŋbák taːrat taːras uwùruk
Western, Southwestern, B Eggon (1) ákiə́n àhàà àtráá ùɲí òtnó ùfín (5+ 1) àfóhà (5+ 2) àfóté (5+ 3) àfúúɲí (5+ 4) ókpo
Western, Southwestern, B Eggon (2) òrí ɔ̀hà ɔ̀cá òɲì ɔ̀tnɔ̂ ə̀fĩ́ (5+ 1) ɔ̀fɔ́hà (5+ 2) ɔ̀fɔ́tɛ́ (5+ 3) ɔ̀fɔ̂ɲí (5+ 4) ɔ̀kbɔ́

See also[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ Blench, Roger. 2007. Language families of the Nigerian Middle Belt and the historical implications of their distribution. Presented to the Jos Linguistic Circle in Jos, Nigeria, July 25, 2007.
  2. ^ a b Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
  3. ^ Blench, Roger (2022). Contact between West Chadic and Plateau languages: new evidence languages: new evidence. 11-12 November 2022, presentation given at Universität Wien.
  4. ^ a b c d Blench, Roger M. 2018. Nominal affixes and number marking in the Plateau languages of Central Nigeria. In John R. Watters (ed.), East Benue-Congo: Nouns, pronouns, and verbs, 107–172. Berlin: Language Science Press. doi:10.5281/zenodo.1314325
  5. ^ Blench, Roger (April 2008). "Prospecting Proto-Plateau" (PDF). p. 2.
  6. ^ "Glottolog 3.0 - Yukubenic". glottolog.org. Retrieved 2017-08-14.
  7. ^ "Jukunoid". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  8. ^ Roger Blench (15 November 2005). "Is there a boundary between Plateau and Jukunoid? (PDF Download Available)". ResearchGate. pp. 3, 5. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  9. ^ Gerhardt, Ludwig. 1983. Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Sprachen des Nigerianischen Plateaus. Glückstadt: Verlag J. J. Augustin.
  10. ^ Maddieson, Ian. 1972. The Benue-Congo Languages of Nigeria. Sheet 1 and 2: Plateau. Mimeographed paper. Ibadan.
  11. ^ Blench, Roger M. 2012. Akpondu, Nigbo, Bəbər and Nisam: moribund or extinct languages of central Nigeria Babur.
  12. ^ Chan, Eugene (2019). "The Niger-Congo Language Phylum". Numeral Systems of the World's Languages.

References[edit]

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External links[edit]

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