Kariya or Vinahə (Vìnà Hə̀), is an Afroasiatic language spoken in a cluster of villages near the Stone Age archaeological site of Kariya Wuro in Ganjuwa LGA, Bauchi State,

Nigeria 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 ...

. The ethnic group is known as Wììhə́.Blench, Roger. 2012.
Linguistic and cultural background to the North Bauchi region and the Wiihə people
' The Wiihə people have a highly rich and complex ritual culture that includes elaborate masquerades, a

circumcision Circumcision is a surgical procedure, procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin ...

ceremony known as ''sár'', a ritual calendar, and so on.

Distribution

Speakers live in the two main settlements of Kariya Gyada and Tulu. There are also speakers in the nearby villages of Sabon Kariya and Sabon Tulu. The settlement of Dutsen Giwa used to have Vinahə speakers, but it is now Hausa-speaking.

Clans

Wiihə clans and their respective founders and shrines:

References

{{West Chadic languages Languages of Nigeria West Chadic languages