Jibyal (also known as Ankwey, a former name for the
Goemai
PUR:purpose
SG:singular
DEF:definite
ADVZ:adverbializer
S:subject (intransitive and transitive) pronoun
IDEOPH:ideophone
O:object pronoun
CONS:consequence clause
PAST.REM:remote past
DIM:diminutive
GEN:genitive
INSIDE:inside
Goemai (also Ankw ...
people) is a
West Chadic
The West Chadic languages of the Afro-Asiatic family are spoken principally in Niger and Nigeria. They include Hausa, the most populous Chadic language and a major language of West Africa.
Languages
The branches of West Chadic go either by n ...
language spoken in
Plateau State
Plateau State is the twelfth-largest Nigerian state. It is in the centre of the country includes a range of hills surrounding the Jos Plateau, its capital, and the entire plateau itself.
Plateau State is described as "The Home of Peace and To ...
,
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, NaìjÃrÃyà , yo, Nà ìjÃrÃà , pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
. It was discovered by
Roger Blench
Roger Marsh Blench (born August 1, 1953) is a British linguist, ethnomusicologist and development anthropologist. He has an M.A. and a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and is based in Cambridge, England. He researches, publishes, and works ...
in 2017.
[Blench, Roger. 2017. ]
Current research on the A3 West Chadic languages
'.
Jibyal most likely belongs to the
Pan cluster of languages, which includes
Kofyar
The Kofyar are a population in central Nigeria numbering around 50,000. After several anthropological studies, they provide good illustrations of how colonial authorities become unwittingly enmeshed in local politics; of sustainable subsistence agr ...
. Some similarities with
Cakfem-Mushere have also been noted by Blench (2019).
Jibyal is spoken in Jibyal town, and in the hamlets of Monkwat, Lamalang, Shimər, and Dalu. Blench (2017) reports 2,000 speakers total. Jibyal speakers intermarry with
Bwal speakers. Children still speak the language, but it is still threatened by
Hausa
Hausa may refer to:
* Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa
* Hausa language, spoken in West Africa
* Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states
* Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse
See also
* ...
.
Names
Jibyal speakers refer to themselves as ''Ankwei''
ŋkwéy which was also the name that the
Goemai
PUR:purpose
SG:singular
DEF:definite
ADVZ:adverbializer
S:subject (intransitive and transitive) pronoun
IDEOPH:ideophone
O:object pronoun
CONS:consequence clause
PAST.REM:remote past
DIM:diminutive
GEN:genitive
INSIDE:inside
Goemai (also Ankw ...
had formerly used to refer to themselves.
Geographical distribution
Jibyal is spoken in
Nasarawa State
Nasarawa State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by the states of Taraba and Plateau, to the north by Kaduna State, to the south by the states of Kogi and Benue, and to the west by the Federal Capital Terri ...
, near the border with
Plateau State
Plateau State is the twelfth-largest Nigerian state. It is in the centre of the country includes a range of hills surrounding the Jos Plateau, its capital, and the entire plateau itself.
Plateau State is described as "The Home of Peace and To ...
. It is spoken in
Mangu LGA, situated to the west of the Panyam-Shendam road, to the south of Mushere. Villages and hamlets are Jibyal village, and Monkwat, Lamalang, ShimÓ™r, and Dalu hamlets. Jibyal is situated to the north of
Nteng, and to the west of Jipal (a distinctive language from Jibyal, despite the similar-sounding name).
Phonology
Jibyal has vowel length contrast. Examples below:
References
*
*Blench, Roger. 2017.
Current research on the A3 West Chadic languages'.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jibyal language
West Chadic languages
Languages of Nigeria