The Biu–Mandara or Central 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 ...

family are spoken in

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 of G ...

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Repub ...

and

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west- central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; th ...

. A reconstruction of Proto-Central Chadic has been proposed by Gravina (2014).

Languages

Gravina (2014)

Gravina (2014) classifies Central Chadic as follows, as part of a reconstruction of the proto-language. Letters and numbers in parentheses correspond to branches in previous classifications. The greatest changes are breaking up and reassigning the languages of the old Mafa branch (A.5) and Mandage (Kotoko) branch (B.1). *South **South ***Bata (A.8) ****Bata Proper: Bacama, Bata, Fali,

Gude Gude is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Gerard Pierre Laurent Kalshoven Gude (1858–1924), British malacologist *Gilbert Gude, United States Congressman from Maryland *Hans Gude, Norwegian romanticist painter *Marquard Gude, ...

Gudu Gudu is a Local Government Area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative ...

Holma ''Holma'' is a monotypic genus of Central African dwarf spiders containing the single species, ''Holma bispicata''. It was first described by G. H. Locket in 1974, and has only been found in Angola. See also * List of Linyphiidae species ...

(†),

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 ...

, Ngwaba (from A.1 Tera), Nzanyi,

Sharwa Saharwa is a village in Hisar tehsil and district in Haryana, India, located on the Hisar-Isarwal road about 28 km from Hisar. It is situated at the boundary of the Hisar and Bhiwani districts. It also marks the onset of Thar desert. ...

****Tsuvan:

Tsuvan Tsuvan (also known as Matsuvan, Motsuvan, Terki, Telaki, Teleki, Tchede) is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Cameroon in Far North Province. Tsuvan is spoken in the village (in fact, the massif) of Téléki by a group known as the Tchédé, ...

, Zizilivakan ***Daba (A.7) ****Daba Proper: Daba, Mazagway Hidi ****Mina: Mina, Mbudum ****Buwal:

Buwal Buwal, also known as Ma Buwal, Bual, or Gadala, is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Cameroon in Far North Province in and around Gadala. Phonology The labiodental flap is marginal, only occurring in two native Buwal words. The labial-velar ...

, Gavar ***Mafa (= South A.5 Mafa (d)): Mafa, Mefele,

Cuvok Cuvok (french: Tchouvok) is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in northern Cameroon. Cuvok is spoken by about 5,000 speakers (''ALCAM'' 1983) in and around Tchouvok, near Zamay ( Mokolo commune, Mayo-Tsanaga Mayo-Tsanaga is a department of Ex ...

***Tera (A.1): ****East Tera:

Boga Boga is a common name for fishes and may refer to: *''Haemulon vittata'' *''Haemulon vittatum'' *''Leporinus obtusidens'' Boga may also refer to: * Boga (soft drink), a Tunisian brand of soft drinks * BOGA, the Bern Botanical Gardens in Switze ...

, Ga'anda, Hwana ****(West Tera): Jara, Tera ***

Sukur Sukur or Sukur Cultural Landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on a hill above the village of Sukur in the Adamawa State of Nigeria. It is situated in the Mandara Mountains, close to the border with Cameroon. Its UNESCO inscription is ...

(A.6) *Hurza **Hurza (from A.5 Mafa):

Vame Vame or Pelasla is an Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language spoken in northern Cameroon. Dialects Dialects are Dəmwa (Dume?), Hurza, Mayo-Plata (Pəlasla, Gwendele), Mbərem (Vame-Mbreme), and Ndreme (Vame). Pelasla is the name preferred ...

Mbuko Mbuko is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in the canton of Doulek, Méri subdivision, department of Diamaré, and also in parts of the canton of Serawa, Tokombéré subdivision, department of Mayo-Sava Mayo-Sava is a department of Extreme- ...

*North **Margi–Mandara–Mofu ***Margi (A.2) ****Bura:

Bura Bura may refer to: Places * Bura (Achaea), a city in Greece * Boura, Burkina Faso (disambiguation), also spelled Bura * Bura, Iran (disambiguation) * Bura, Taita-Taveta District, Kenya * Bura, Tana River District, Kenya People and civilizatio ...

, Cibak,

Putai Budai ( zh, c=布袋, p=Bùdài; ko, 포대, Podae; ja, 布袋, Hotei; vi, Bố Đại) was a Chinese monk who is often identified with and venerated as Maitreya Buddha in Chan Buddhism. With the spread of Chan Buddhism, he also came to b ...

, Nggwahyi ****Margi Proper: Kilba, Margi South,

Margi Margi ( gr, Μαργί) is a village located in the Nicosia District of Cyprus. Before 1960, the village population was made up almost exclusively of Turkish Cypriot Turkish Cypriots or Cypriot Turks ( tr, Kıbrıs Türkleri or ''Kıbrıslı ...

***Mandara (A.4): ****Wandala: Mandara ( Malgwa),

Glavda Glavda (also known as Galavda, Gelebda, Glanda, Guelebda, Galvaxdaxa) is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Borno State, Nigeria and in Far North Province, Cameroon. The Gelvaxdaxa community is very small in Cameroon (about 2,800 speakers). T ...

****Dghwede: Cineni, Dghwede, Guduf, Gava,

Gvoko Gvoko (also known as Gevoko, Ghboko, Gavoko, Kuvoko, Ngossi, Ngoshi, Ngoshe-Ndhang, Ngweshe-Ndaghan, Ngoshe Sama, Nggweshe) is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Borno State Borno State is a state in the North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria ...

****Podoko: Podoko, Matal (from A.5 Mafa) ***Mofu (part of South A.5 Mafa) ****Tokombere: Ouldeme,

Mada Mada ( sa, मद) is a term used in both Hindu theology and mythology. It is one of the Arishadvargas. It refers to one of the six enemy of the mind or a vice according to the Hindu scriptures. It is the Hindu equivalent of Pride from the seven ...

, Muyang, Molokwo ****Meri: Zulgo, Gemzek, Merey, Dugwor ****Mofu Proper: Mofu North, Mofu-Gudur **Maroua ***Maroua (part of South A.5 Mafa (c)): Giziga North, Giziga South, Mbazla **Lamang ***Lamang (West A.4 Wandala): Lamang, Hdi, Mabas **Higi ***Higi (A.3): Bana, Hya, Psikyɛ, Kamwe, Kirya-Konzel **Musgum – North Kotoko ***Kotoko Island: Buduma ***Kotoko North: Mpade, Afaɗə, Malgbe, Maltam ***Musgum (B.2): Musgum, Mbara, Muskum (†) **Kotoko Centre ***Kotoko Centre: Lagwan, Mser **Kotoko South ***Kotoko South:

Zina ''Zināʾ'' () or ''zinā'' ( or ) is an Islamic legal term referring to unlawful sexual intercourse. According to traditional jurisprudence, ''zina'' can include adultery, fornication, prostitution, rape, sodomy, incest, and bestiality. ...

, Mazera ** Gidar Jilbe was not classified, as no sources were available.

Blench (2006)

The branches of Biu–Mandara traditionally go by either names or letters and numbers in an outline format. Blench (2006) organizes them as follows:Blench, 2006
The Afro-Asiatic Languages: Classification and Reference List
(ms) *Tera (A.1): Tera, Pidlimdi (Hinna), Jara, Ga'anda, Gabin,

, Ngwaba, Hwana *Bura–Higi **Bura (A.2): Bura-Pabir (Bura), Cibak (Kyibaku), Nggwahyi, Huba (Kilba),

(Marghi West),

Marghi Central Margi, also known as Marghi and Marghi Central, is a Chadic language (a branch of Afroasiatic) spoken in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Chad. It is perhaps the best described of the Biu–Mandara branch of that family. Marghi South language and Putai ...

(Margi, Margi Babal),

Marghi South Marghi South is a Chadic language The Chadic languages form a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are spoken in parts of the Sahel. They include 150 languages spoken across northern Nigeria, southern Niger, southern Chad, the Cent ...

**? Kofa **Higi (A.3): Kamwə ( Psikyɛ, Higi), Bana, Hya, ? Kirya-Konzəl *Wandala–Mafa **Wandala (Mandara) (A.4) ***East: Wandala (Mura, Mandara, Malgwa),

(Gəlvaxdaxa) *** Parəkwa (Podoko) ***West: Gəvoko, Guduf-Gava ( Cineni), Dghweɗe, Hdi (Xədi, Hedi, Tur), Lamang, Woga, Vemgo, Mabas ***

(Sakwun, A.6) **Mafa (A.5) ***Northeast Mafa:

(Pəlasla),

, Gaduwa *** Matal (Muktele) ***South Mafa ****(a) Wuzlam (Ouldémé), Muyang, Maɗa, Məlokwo ****(b) Zəlgwa-Minew, Gemzek, Ɗugwor, Mikere, Merey ****(c) North Giziga, South Giziga,

North Mofu North Mofu is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in northern Cameroon. Dialects are Douroun and Wazan. There is no specific glossonym (language name) covering the very close languages of the Douroum, Wazang and Douvangar massifs, nor is there a c ...

, Mofu-Gudur (South Mofu), Baldemu (Mbazlam) ****(d)

, Mafa, Mefele, Shügule *Daba (A.7) **North Daba:

(Gadala), Gavar (Kortchi) **South Daba: Mina (Besleri, Hina), Daba ( Mazagway), Mbədam *Bata (Gbwata) (A.8): Bacama, Bata (Gbwata),

Fali of Mubi Fali, or Fali of Mubi after the local city, is a Chadic dialect cluster A dialect continuum or dialect chain is a series of language varieties spoken across some geographical area such that neighboring varieties are mutually intelligible, ...

, Zizilivakan (Ulan Mazhilvən, Fali of Jilbu),

(Jimjimən),

(†), Nzanyi *Mandage (Kotoko) (B.1) **South Mandage: Msər (Kousseri), Lagwan (Logone) **? Jilbe **North Mandage: Afaɗə, Maslam, Malgbe (Gulfey), Mpadə *'' Buduma (Yedina)'' *East–Central **'' Gidar (Kaɗa)'' **Munjuk (B.2): Mbara, Muskum (Muzuk) (†), Mpus, Beege (Jafga), Vulum (Mulwi) **Mida'a (< B.1): Jina, Majəra

Newman (1977)

Central Chadic classification per Newman (1977): Biu-Mandara languages

Names and locations (Nigeria)

Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations (in

only) from Blench (2019).

South

North

Numerals

Comparison of numerals in individual languages:

Notes

References

Central Chadic resources
at africanlanguages.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Biu-Mandara languages Chadic languages Biu-Mandara languages