Nupe (also known as Anufe, Nupenci, Nyinfe, and Tapa
) is a
Volta–Niger language of the
Nupoid branch primarily spoken by the
Nupe people of the
North Central region of Nigeria. Its geographical distribution stretches and maintains preeminence in
Niger State
Niger State is a state in the North Central (Nigeria), North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kaduna State and the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory, to the north by Kebbi State and Zamfara State, ...
as well as
Kwara,
Kogi,
Nasarawa and the
Federal Capital Territory. Nupe is closely related to Kakanda in structure and vocabulary. There are at least two markedly different dialects of Nupe: Nupe central and Nupe Tako.
Demographics
Nupe is the language spoken by the
Nupe people, who reside mainly in Niger State in Nigeria, occupying a lowland of about square kilometers in the
Niger Basin, mostly north of the river between the Kontagora and Guara confluents from Kainji to below Baro, and also
Kwara State
Kwara () is a state in Western Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kogi State, to the north by Niger State, and to the south by Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo states, while its western border makes up part of the international border with Benin. Its ca ...
,
Kogi State
Kogi State is a States of Nigeria, state in the North Central Nigeria, North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti State, Ekiti and Kwara State, Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, Fe ...
and the
Federal Capital Territory.
Nupe is spoken mainly in
Bida, Niger State and surrounding areas. It is also spoken in villages on the
Benue River near
Ibi and east of
Lafia. Nupe has assimilated earlier ethnolinguistic groups such as the Benu of Kutigi, who originally were
Kanuri-speaking, and the
Gbagyi at Lemu.
[Blench, Roger. 2013. ]
The Nupoid languages of west-central Nigeria: overview and comparative word list
'.
Nupe-Tako ("The Nupe Below", also called "Bassa Nge") is spoken by the
Bassa Nge, who also speak the Bassa Nge or Bassa Nupe dialect of
Basa-Benue and is lexically most closely related to central Nupe.
Classification
The Nupe language belongs to the
Nupoid branch of the Benue-Congo group of languages. Other languages in the group are Igbira (Ebira), Gade, and Kakanda. Nupe is related most closely to Kakanda in structure and vocabulary. There are at least two markedly different dialects: Nupe central and Nupe Tako.
Phonology
Proverbs
Common sayings come in the forms of ''egankogi'' (parable), ''gangba'' (warning), ''egancin'' (idiom), ''ecingi'' (riddle/tales) and ''eganmagan'' (proverb).
[Ibrahim, Isyaku Bala (2009) Eganmaganzhi Nupe (Nupe Proverbs), over a thousand (1000) proverbs). Minna: Gandzo Enterprises.]
''Eganmagan'' (proverb, plural ''eganmaganzhi)'' are wise sayings spoken among the Nupes. They are didactic proverbs which educate, entertain, and teach morality. They form part of the oral culture on norms and ethics of Nupe societies, and are passed from one generation to another through songs, stories, fables, folk tales, myths, legends, incantations, communal discussions, and worship.
Similar to other African proverbs, Nupe proverbs associate or relate people's action to their immediate environment in order to explain or correct particular situations, norms, issues, or problems. They also enlighten, warn and advise, or teach language in order to change perception which is believed to become reality.
References
External links
PanAfriL10n page on NupeTakada nya Aduwa nya Eza Kama kendona zizi nya Anglican Church yi na
Portions of the Book of Common Prayer in Nupe (1955) digitized by Richard Mammana
{{Volta-Niger languages
Languages of Nigeria
Nupoid languages
Nupe