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.

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

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]
BranchPrimary locations
AlumicAkwanga LGA, Nasarawa State
BeromicBarkin Ladi, Jos North, Jos South and Riyom LGAs, Plateau State; and Jema'a LGAs, Kaduna State
CentralJaba, 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
EastMangu LGA, Plateau State
NdunicSanga LGA, Kaduna State
NinzicJema'a and Sanga LGAs, Kaduna State; and Akwanga LGA, Nasarawa State
SouthAkwanga, Nasarawa Eggon, Lafia LGAs, Nasarawa State; Bwari LGA, Federal Capital Territory
TarokoidLangtang 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

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

Blench (2018)

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

Plateau 

Tarokoid (5)

 South 

Eggonic (2)

Jilic (2–4)

? East (2–3)

Bo-Rukul

Horom-Fyem

Ndunic (Ahwai) (1–3)

Alumic (4)

Ninzic (13–14)

? West-Central area (~20) 

Rigwe

Tyapic

Izeric

Hyamic

Koro

Gyongic

North-West

Beromic (4)

? Eloyi

Blench (2008)

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.

Plateau 

Tarokoid (5)

Eloyi

 South 

Eggonic (2)

Jilic (2–4)

Ndunic (Ahwai) (1–3)

Alumic (4)

Ninzic (13–14)

? East (2–3)

? Central (20)

Beromic (4)

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

Gerhardt (1983)

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

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

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

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

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

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

No.GlossProto-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

Comparison of numerals in individual languages:[12]

ClassificationLanguage12345678910
SouthLijililō̥àbē̥àtʃé̥ànàró̥àsó̥mìnzímútárúnó̥zàtʃé̥zàbè̥
BeromicAten (Iten)dáytàt / tʃàtnàːstàːrànìtànàràsdùːdʒàŋdùːbɔ̀
BeromicBerom (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-CentralIrigwe (Rigwe)ˀzrúˀʍʲèˀt͡sʲɛ̀ˀniˀt͡ɕʷòôrít͡sʲɛ́nat͡sʲɛ́klaǹvàkruvájáʃʷá
Central, South-CentralJju (Kaje)əyriŋəhwaətatənaaiəpfwɔnəkitat (2 x 3)ətiyriŋənaimbvwakəkumbvuyriŋswak
Central, South-CentralTyap (Kataf)əɲiuŋ/ ʒyiuŋəfeaŋ/ sweaŋətat/ t͡satənaai/ ɲaaiəfwuon/ t͡swuonətaaənatatəninai/ ərinaiəkubunyiuŋswak
NorthernIkulu (Kulu)íńjííńpààláíńtááíńnāāíńcūūíńcúnútɔ́ɔ̀pāāníǹnāā (2 x 4) ?tɔ́ɔ̀llāānùkɔ̄p
SoutheasternFyam (Pyem)kʲéŋportáárnaastóóntáárintámortʃíníttéresdukút
TarokoidTarok (Yergam)ùzɨ̀ŋùpàrɨ́mùʃáɗɨ́ŋùnèɗɨ́ŋùtúkúnùk͡pə́ɗɨ́ŋùfàŋʃátùnə̀nnèùfàŋzɨ́ŋtɨ́ŋùɡ͡bə́pei
Western, Northwestern, HyamicHyam (Jabba)ʒìnìfe̠ritaatnaaŋtwootwaani (5+ 1) ?twarfo (5+ 2) ?naaraŋ (2 x 4) ?mbwan kɔb (10 - 1)kɔ́b
Western, Northwestern, KoroYeskwa (Nyenkpa)ènyíènvàèntâtènnàèntyúòèncítònvàtóndáttyúôráókóp
Western, Southwestern, AMada (Madda)ɡyə̄rywātarnlyɛ̄tuntānnɛ̀ntāmɡ͡bātāndàtīyārɡùr
Western, Southwestern, ANinzojírtárnə̄(s)ʈʷítānìtāŋɡ͡bātāndàrtīr(s)wūr
Western, Southwestern, ARukuba (Che)ɡyín-hàk-tát-nàs-túŋtàiŋtaŋbáktaːrattaːrasuwùruk
Western, Southwestern, BEggon (1)ákiə́nàhàààtrááùɲíòtnóùfín (5+ 1)àfóhà (5+ 2)àfóté (5+ 3)àfúúɲí (5+ 4)ókpo
Western, Southwestern, BEggon (2)òríɔ̀hàɔ̀cáòɲìɔ̀tnɔ̂ə̀fĩ́ (5+ 1)ɔ̀fɔ́hà (5+ 2)ɔ̀fɔ́tɛ́ (5+ 3)ɔ̀fɔ̂ɲí (5+ 4)ɔ̀kbɔ́

See also

Footnotes

  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. 1 2 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. 1 2 3 4 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

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