Zeem, or Chaari, is an endangered 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, but the differences accumulate over distance so that widely separated varie ...

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 ...

, whose speakers are shifting to

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 * ...

. Dyarim is closely related. The Zeem language is spoken in Toro LGA,

Bauchi State Bauchi State (Fula: ''Leydi Bauchi'' 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤦𞤢𞤵𞤷𞥅𞤭) is a state in the North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered by Kano and Jigawa to the north, Taraba and Plateau to the south, Gombe and Yobe to the ea ...

. The Tulai and Danshe dialects are no longer spoken. It is also called Chaari, Dokshi, Dyarum, Kaiwari, Kaiyorawa, Lukshi, and Lushi. Dyarim had been influenced by

Beromic languages The four Beromic languages are a branch of the Plateau languages spoken in central Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, ...

during a time when Beromic was more widespread.Blench, Roger. 2005
The Dyarim language of Central Nigeria and its affinities

Varieties

Zeem-Caari-Danshe-Dyarim cluster varieties listed by Blench (2019): *Zeem (extinct) *Tule (extinct) *Danshe *Chaari *Dyarim *Dokshi (Lukshi, Lushi) * Jimi Blench reports in 2019 that only 3 very elderly speakers of the Dokshi (or LukshiBlench, Roger. 2020.
The South Bauchi languages of Central Nigeria: a fresh view based on recent fieldwork
'. CALL 50. Leiden University, August 31, 2020.) language remain in the village of Lukshi,

Notes

Chadic languages {{Nigeria-stub