Tula–Waja
Tula–Wiyaa
Geographic
distribution		northeastern Nigeria
Linguistic classificationNiger–Congo?
Subdivisions
Glottologtula1250

The Tula–Waja, or Tula–Wiyaa languages are a branch of the provisional Savanna languages, closest to Kam (Nyingwom), spoken in northeastern Nigeria. They are spoken primarily in southeastern Gombe State and other neighbouring states.

They were labeled "G1" in Joseph Greenberg's Adamawa language-family proposal and later placed in a Waja–Jen branch of that family.

Guldemann (2018) observes significant internal lexical diversity within Tula-Waja, partly as a result of word tabooing accelerating lexical change.[1] Although noun classes have been lost in Dadiya, Maa, and Yebu, Waja and Tula retain complex noun class systems.[2] Kleinewillinghöfer (1996) also observes many morphological similarities between the Tula–Waja and Central Gur languages,[3] a view shared by Bennett (1983) and Bennett & Sterk (1977).[4][5]

Languages

Classification

Ulrich Kleinewillinghöfer (2014), in the Adamawa Languages Project website, classifies the Tula–Waja languages as follows. Kleinewillinghöfer considers Tso and Cham to be branches that had diverged earlier. Waja is considered by Kleinewillinghöfer to be a distinct branch, although its exact position within Tula-Waja remains uncertain.[2]

Tula–Waja
  • Core Tula group
  • Yebu (Awak) (local variants)
  • Ma (Kamo, Kamu)
  • Cham
    • Dijim of Kindiyo
    • Bwilim (of Mɔna and Loojaa)
  • Tso (Lotsu-Piri)
    • Tso of the Swaabou
    • Tso of the Bərbou
      • Tso of the Gusubo
      • Tso of Luuzo
  • Waja
    • Waja of Wɩɩ (Wajan Kasa) (local variants)
    • Waja of Deri (Wajan Dutse) (two variants)

Names and locations

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

LanguageDialectsAlternate spellingsOwn name for languageEndonym(s)Other names (location-based)Other names for languageExonym(s)SpeakersLocation(s)
Dijim–Bwilim7,545 (1968). ca. 20 villagesGombe State, Balanga LGA, Adamawa State, Lamurde LGA
DijimDijimsg Níi Dìjí pl. DìjímCham, Cam, Kindiyo,
BwilimBwilə́msg Níi Bwilí pl. Bwilə́mMwana, Mwona [Hausa name], Fitilai [village name]4,282
DadiyaNda Dia, DadiaBwe Daddiya pl. DaddiyabNyíyò Daddiya3,986 (1961), 20,000 (1992 est.).Gombe State, Balanga LGA, Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA and Adamawa State, Lamurde LGA. Between Dadiya and Bambam.
MaMa sg. nụbá Ma pl.nyii MaKamo, Kamu3000 (SIL)Gombe State, Kaltungo and Akko LGAs
TsoboBәrbou, Guzubo, SwabouCibboTsóbónyi TsóLotsu–Piri, Pire, FireKitta2,000 (1952)Gombe State, Kaltungo LGA, Adamawa State, Numan LGA
TulaBaule, Wangke [used for literacy development], YiriTureyii KituleNaba Kitule pl. Kitule19,209 (1952 W&B); 12,204 (1961–2 Jungraithmayr); 19,000 (1973 SIL). ca. 50 villages ?100,000 est.Gombe State, Kaltungo LGA. Tula is 30 km. east of Billiri.
WiyaaPlain and HillsWaggaNyan WịyáùWịyáàWaja19,700 (1952 W&B); 50,000 (1992 est.)Gombe State, Balanga and Kaltungo LGAs, Waja district. Taraba State, Bali LGA.
BangjingeNabang, Kaloh [orthography based on Nabang]Bangunji, Bangunje, BangwinjiBáŋjìŋè sg. Báŋjìŋèb pl.nyii Bánjòŋ8000 CAPRO (1995a).[7] 25 villages (2008)Gombe State, Shongom LGA
YebuYěbùNìín YěbùAwok2,035 (1962)Gombe State, Kaltungo LGA: 10 km northeast of Kaltungo

See also

References

  1. ↑ Güldemann, Tom (2018). "Historical linguistics and genealogical language classification in Africa". In Güldemann, Tom (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of Africa. The World of Linguistics series. Vol. 11. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 58–444. doi:10.1515/9783110421668-002. ISBN 978-3-11-042606-9.
  2. 1 2 Kleinewillinghöfer, Ulrich. 2014. The languages of the Tula – Waja Group. Adamawa Languages Project.
  3. ↑ Kleinewillinghöfer, Ulrich (1996). Relationship between Adamawa and Gur languages: The case of Waja and Tula.
  4. ↑ Bennett, Patrick R. 1983. Adamawa-Eastern: Problems and prospects. In: Dihoff, Ivan R. (ed). Current Approaches to African Linguistics 1. Dordrecht: Foris Publications; 23-48.
  5. ↑ Bennett, Patrick R. & Jan P. Sterk. 1977. South Central Niger-Congo: A reclassification. Studies in African Linguistics, 8: 241-273.
  6. ↑ Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
  7. ↑ CAPRO Research Office 1995a. Unmask the giant. Jos: CAPRO Media. [Bauchi]

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