The West Chadic languages of the

Afro-Asiatic The Afroasiatic languages (or Afro-Asiatic), also known as Hamito-Semitic, or Semito-Hamitic, and sometimes also as Afrasian, Erythraean or Lisramic, are a language family of about 300 languages that are spoken predominantly in the geographic su ...

family are spoken principally in

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesNigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, 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 ...

. They include Hausa, the most populous Chadic language and a major language of

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

Languages

The branches of West Chadic go either by names or by letters and numbers in an outline format. * Hausa–Gwandara (A.1): Hausa,

Gwandara Gwandara is a West Chadic language, and the closest relative of Hausa. Its several dialects are spoken in northern Nigeria, predominantly in the north central region of Nigeria by the Gwandara people and some settlers who are about 30,000 people. ...

*Bole–Angas (?) ** Bole–Tangale (A.2) ***North (Bole proper): Bure, Karekare, Bole, Gera, Geruma, Deno, Galambu, Giiwo, Kubi,

Ngamo Ngamo (also known as Ngamawa, Gamo, Gamawa) is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Nigeria. The native Ngamo language has two major dialects, viz, Gudi Ngamo and Yaya Ngamo. These dialects are spoken by the various clans both within and outside G ...

, Maaka (Maagha), Ɓeele, Daza (Dazawa), ?

Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...

***South (Tangale): Kwaami,

Pero Pero may refer to: * Pero (mythology), several personages in Greek mythology ** Pero (princess), daughter of Neleus * Pero (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname Pero * Pero language, a language of Nigeria * Pero, Lombardy, ...

, Piya-Kwonci, Kholok, Nyam, Kushi (Goji), Kutto (Kupto),

Tangale Tangale (Tangle) is a West Chadic language spoken in Northern region of Nigeria. The vast majority of the native speakers are found across Akko, Billiri, Kaltungo and Shongom Local Government Area of Gombe State Nigeria . Phonology There are ni ...

Dera Dera, Dero, Daro, Dhoro, Dahar or Dehra is a word in several languages of South Asia, whose meaning is 'camp', 'mound' or 'settlement'. It appears in the names of a number of places. Geography India * Dera, Himachal Pradesh * Dera Bassi, Mohali ...

(Kanakuru) ** Angas ( Central West Chadic) (A.3)Blench, Roger. 2017
Current research on the A3 West Chadic languages
***Ngasic: Ngas (Angas), Belnəng ***Mwaghavulic: Mwaghavul, Mupun (Mapun), Takas (Toos); Cakfem-Mushere *** Miship (Chip) ***Pan cluster **** Chakato/Jorto **** Jipal, Mernyang (Mirriam), Kwagallak,

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 ...

(Doemak), Bwol, Goram, Jibyal *** Nteng ***Tel (Tɛɛl, Montol) ***Talic: Tal, Pyapun, Koenoem ***Goemaic:

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 ...

*** Yiwom (Ywom, Gerka) **

Ron Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in ''Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe A ...

(A.4): Fyer, Tambas,

( Bokkos, Daffo-Butura, Mangar, Monguna), Shagawu, Duhwa (Karfa), Kulere (Tof, Richa, Kamwai-Marhai), Mundat, Sha *Bade–Warji (?) ** Bade (B.1): Duwai; Bade, Shira (†), Ngizim, Teshenawa (†), Auyokawa (†) **

Warji Warji is a Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the town of Warji. It has an area of 625 km and a population of 114,720 at the 2006 census. The postal code A postal code (also known locally in various ...

( North Bauchi) (B.2): Pa'a;

, Diri, Ciwogai, Kariya (Vinahə), Mburku, Miya, Siri, Zumbun (Jimbin), Ajawa (†) * Barawa ( South Bauchi) (B.3) **Zaar: Dass; Geji, Polci (Polchi), Saya,

Zari ''Zari'' (or ''jari'') is an even thread traditionally made of fine gold or silver used in traditional Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani garments, especially as brocade in saris etc. This thread is woven into fabrics, primarily silk, to make in ...

, Zeem **Guruntum: Guruntum-Mbaaru, Ju,

Tala Tala may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Tala (comics), a fictional character in DC comics *''Tala'', a 1938 volume of poetry by Gabriela Mistral *Tala (music), a rhythmic pattern in Indian classical music * "Tala" (song), by Sarah Geronimo ...

, Zangwal **Boghom:

Jimi Jimi may refer to: * Jimi language (Cameroon) * Jimi language (Nigeria) * Jimi languages * Jimi system, the administration system of ancient China * Jimi River, in Papua New Guinea * Jimi Valley, in Papua New Guinea * Jimi District, in Papua New G ...

, Jum; Boghom, Kir-Balar, Mangas In addition, Poki is unclassified within West Chadic.

Internal structure

George Starostin's (2010) internal classification of West Chadic as presented in Blažek (2010): *West Chadic **West Chadic A *** Hausa–Gwandara ***(branch) ****

****Bole-Angas ***** Bole–Tangale ***** Angas–Sura **West Chadic B *** Bade–Ngizim ***Bauchi **** North Bauchi **** South Bauchi

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 ...

's (2021) internal classification of West Chadic:Blench, Roger. 2021.
The erosion of number marking in West Chadic Roger Blench
'. WOCAL, Leiden. *West Chadic ** Hausa–Gwandara **Core West Chadic ***

*** Bole–Tangale *** Bade–Ngizim *** North Bauchi *** South Bauchi, A3 (Central-West)

Distribution

Distributions of West Chadic branches:

History of dispersal

(2022) suggests that West Chadic languages may have spread via a gradual agricultural dispersal in Central Nigeria, starting from 3,000-4,000 years ago. Blench notes that West Chadic morphology has been heavily influenced by Plateau languages, likely as a result of long-term intermarriage that occurred as West Chadic incomers took local wives who spoke Plateau languages.Blench, Roger (2022).
Contact between West Chadic and Plateau languages: new evidence languages: new evidence
'. 11-12 November 2022, presentation given at Universität Wien.

Reconstruction

Although no full reconstruction of West Chadic has been published, reconstructions of numerals for West Chadic and its subgroups have been proposed by Václav Blažek (2018).Blažek, Václav. 2018
The numerals of West Chadic
''Topics in Chadic Linguistics IX''. Papers from the 8th Biennial International Colloquium on the Chadic Languages, Bayreuth, February 4-5, 2016.

Phonology

The labial–velar consonants /kp/ and /gb/, widespread in Plateau and other Niger-Congo languages but uncommon in Chadic languages, can be found in Ron languages and in certain West Chadic A3 and Bole-Tangale languages. These consonants were borrowed from Plateau languages due to intensive long-term contact. However, other phonological features typical of Plateau and Niger-Congo languages such as

ATR ATR may refer to: Medicine * Acute transfusion reaction * Ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3 related, a protein involved in DNA damage repair Science and mathematics * Advanced Test Reactor, nuclear research reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory, ...

and

vowel harmony In phonology, vowel harmony is an Assimilation (linguistics), assimilatory process in which the vowels of a given domain – typically a phonological word – have to be members of the same natural class (thus "in harmony"). Vowel harmony is t ...

are not found in West Chadic languages.

Numerals

Comparison of numerals in individual languages:

References

External links

The Yobe Languages Research Project
by the late Russell G. Schuh of UCLA

at africanlanguages.org {{Authority control Chadic languages West Chadic languages Languages of Nigeria