Central Plateau languages

The twenty Central Plateau languages are a residual branch of the Plateau family spoken in central Nigeria. Tyap (or Katab) has 130,000 speakers, and the closely related Jju (or Kaje) has well over 300,000. Hyam (or Jabba) has another 100,000. Cori is famous for being one of very few languages with six tone levels, though only three are needed for writing.

Central Plateau
Geographic distribution	Nigeria
Linguistic classification	Niger–Congo Atlantic–Congo Benue–Congo Plateau Central Plateau
Subdivisions	Rigwe Izere Tyapic Hyamic Koro Gyongic Yeskwa North Plateau
Glottolog	None sout3163  (Irigwe–Izeric–Tyapic) nort3184  (Hyamic–Koroic–Gyongic) nort3169  (North Plateau)

Classification

The Central Plateau languages are a close geographical group with numerous connections; however, they are to some extent a residual group and may be a sprachbund. The following classification is taken from Blench (2008). A distinction between North Plateau and the rest of Central Plateau is possible but appears to be geographic; Gerhardt (1994) argues they belong together.

Each of the second-level bullets is a single language or dialect cluster and is obviously valid. However, most of the first-level groups (Hyamic, North Plateau, Gyongic, Koro) are not self-evident and may continue to be revised.

• Rigwe (Irigwe)
• Izeric
  • Izere: NE & NW Izere, Cèn, Ganàng
  • Fəràn (Firan) – clearly related to Izere
• Tyapic
  • Tyap (Katab): Tyap proper, Gworok, Takat (Attakar), Tyecha̱rak (Kacecere), Sholyia̱ (Sholio), Fantswam (Kafanchan), Tyuku
  • Jju (Kaje) – probably part of the Tyap cluster
• Hyamic
  • Cori (Kyoli)
  • Dangana
  • Hyam (Jabba): Hyam of Nok, Sait, Dzar; maybe Yaat, Ankun also separate
  • Shamang
  • Zhire (Shang is relexified Zhire)
• Koro
  • Koro: Ashe, Begbere-Ejar
  • Yeskwa (Nyankpa)
  • Idun, Gwara
• Gyongic
  • Gyong (Kagoma)
  • Nghan (Kamantan)
• North Plateau (Northwest)
  • Adara (Eda, Edra)
  • Kuturmi
  • Kulu (Ikulu)
  • Idon
  • Doka
  • Iku (Iku-Gora-Ankwe)

Blench (2018) splits the Central Plateau languages into a Northwest Plateau group consisting of Eda/Edra, Acro-Obiro (Kuturmi), Kulu, Idon, Doka, Iku-Gora-Ankwe, and a West-Central Plateau linguistic area consisting of the Rigwe, Tyapic, Izeric, Hyamic, Koro, and Gyongic groups.[1]

Many of the languages, including Jju, were formerly classified as part of a Southern Zaria group in earlier classifications.[1]

Names and locations

Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).[2]

Language	Branch	Cluster	Dialects	Alternate spellings	Own name for language	Endonym(s)	Other names (location-based)	Other names for language	Exonym(s)	Speakers	Location(s)	Notes
Izere cluster	Central	Izere		Izarek, Zarek		Afizere: other spellings – Fizere, Feserek, Afizarek, Afusare, Fezere		Jarawa	Jarawan Dutse	22,000 (LA 1971); 30,000 (1977 Voegelin & Voegelin)	Bauchi State, Toro LGA; Plateau State, Jos South and Barkin Ladi LGAs; Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA probably migrants only
Fobur	Central	Izere	Fobur, Shere, Jos Zarazon	Fobor					Northwestern Jarawa	Fewer than 15,000 (1991)	Bauchi State, Toro LGA; Plateau State, Jos LGA
Northeastern Izere	Central	Izere	Federe=Fedare, Zendi, Fursum, Jarawan Kogi								Bauchi State, Toro LGA; Plateau State, Jos LGA
Southern Izere	Central	Izere		Forom						Fewer than 4,000 (1991)	Plateau State, Barkin Ladi LGA at Forom and Gashish villages
Ichèn	Central	Izere
Faishang	Central	Izere
Ganang	Central	Izere
Jju	Central				Kәjju	Baju, Bajju		Kaje, Kajji, Kache		26,600 (NAT 1949); possibly 200,000 (1984 SIL)	Kaduna State, Zangon Kataf, Kachia and Jema’a LGAs
Tyap cluster	Central	Tyap		Kataf							Kaduna State, Zangon Kataf, Kaura and Jema’a LGAs
Tyap	Central	Tyap		Atyab, Tyab	Tyap	Atyap, Atyab	Katab, Kataf, Katap			estimate more than 130,000 (1990)	Kaduna State, Zangon Kataf and Kaura LGAs
Gworok	Central	Tyap			Agwolok, Agwot, Gworog		Agolok, Kagoro	Aguro		9,300 (NAT 1949)	Kaduna State, Kaura LGA
Takad	Central	Tyap		Atakat, Attaka, Attakar, Atakar, Takat						5,000 (1950 HDG)	Kaduna State, Kaura LGA	no data
Sholio	Central	Tyap				Asholio, Asolio, Osholio, Aholio		Marwa, Morwa, Moroa, Marawa, Maroa		5,700 (NAT 1949)	Kaduna State, Kaura LGA, around Manchok town	no data
Tyecarak	Central	Tyap		Aticherak, Kacicere				Daroro		700 (NAT 1949)	Kaduna State, Zangon Kataf and Kaura LGAs	no data
Fantswam	Central	Tyap		Fantuan, Kafanchan, Kpashan						970, (1934 HDG)	Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA	no data
Fɨran	Central, South-Central			Faran, Forom	Fɨràn	yes Fɨràn sg. yes Bèfɨràn pl.	Kwakwi			Fewer than 1500 (1991)	Plateau State, Barakin Ladi LGA, at Kwakwi station, south of Jos
Rigwe	Central, South-Central		Northern (Kwan), Southern (Miango)	Aregwe, Irigwe	ɾȉgʷȅ, Rigwe	ƴîɾìgʷȅ pl. yíɾìgʷȅ	Miango, Nyango, Kwal, Kwoll, Kwan			13,500 (HDG); 40,000 (1985 UBS)	Bassa local government, Plateau State and Kauru local government, Kaduna State
Cori	Hyamic			Chori						A single village and associated hamlets	Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA
Hyam cluster	Hyamic	Hyam	Kwak (=Nkwak) appears as a Hyamic language in Ethnologue (2009) and earlier versions, but the name is spurious and is simply a Hyam town name	Ham, Hum	Jaba					43,000	Kaduna State, Kachia and Jema’a LGAs
Kwyeny	Hyamic	Hyam
Yaat	Hyamic	Hyam
Saik	Hyamic	Hyam
Dzar	Hyamic	Hyam
Hyam of Nok	Hyamic	Hyam
Shamang	Hyamic			Samban	Shamang	Samang					Kaduna State, Kachia and Jema’a LGAs
Shang	Hyamic			Kushampa	u-ʃaŋ pl. aʃaŋ	ʃaŋ					Kaduna State, Kachia and Jema’a LGAs. The Shang live in two settlements, Kushampa A and B. Kushampa A is on the road between Kurmin Jibrin and Kubacha on the Jere road.
Zhire	Hyamic							Kenyi			Kaduna State, Kachia and Jema’a LGAs	no data
Ashe	Koro			Ache	únɛ́r ìzɛ̀ sg. Bɛ̀zɛ̀ pl.	Ìzɛ̀	The Ashe share a common ethnonym with the Tinɔr-Myamya (q.v.) which is Uzar pl. Bazar for the people and Ìzar for the language. This name is the origin of the term Ejar.		Koron Ache	35,000 including Tinɔr-Myamya (Barrett 1972). 8 villages (2008) between Katugal and Kubacha.	Kaduna State, Kagarko LGA, Nasarawa State, Karu LGA
Tinɔr-Myamya cluster	Koro	Tinɔr-Myamya		The Tinɔr-Myamya peoples actually have no common name for themselves, but refer to individual villages when speaking, and apply noun-class prefixes to the stem.			Begbere-Ejar. The Tinɔr-Myamya share a common ethnonym with the Ashe (q.v.) which is Uzar pl. Bazar for the people and Ìzar for the language. This name is the origin of the term Ejar.		Koro Agwe, Agwere, Koro Makama	35,000 including Ashe (1972 Barrett)	Kaduna State, Kagarko LGA	The name Begbere comes from Bàgbwee, a Myamya village, and Ejar from Ìzar (see 2.A). There has been a recent proposal to adopt the name DAWN for Koro as a whole.
Tinor	Koro	Tinɔr-Myamya		Waci	iTinɔr	uTinɔr pl. baTinɔr			Waci [widely adopted name], Ala, Koron Ala, Koro Makama	Seven villages south and west of Kubacha. Uca, Unɛr, Ùsám, Marke, Pànkòrè, Ùtúr, Gɛshɛberẽ
Myamya	Koro	Tinɔr-Myamya							Koro Myamya = Miamia = Miyamiya	Three villages north and west of Kubacha. Ùshɛ̀, Bàgàr [includes Kúràtǎm, Ùcɛr and Bɔ̀dṹ] and Bàgbwee.
Nyankpa	Koro		Mbgwende=Ambofa [Bade dialect], Ambo Tem [Panda, Tattara, Buzi]. Tattara is said to be the ‘standard’ form of Yeskwa.		Nnaŋkpa pl. Anaŋkpa	Nyankpa	Yasgua, Yeskwa	Sarogbon [a greeting]		13,000 (1973 SIL)	Nasarawa State, Kauru LGA; Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA
Gwara	Koro	Idun			iGwara	uŋGwara sg. aGwara pl.			Gora	Five villages [2012]	Kaduna State, Kagarko, Jaba LGAs
Idun	Koro	Nyankpa-Idun			Idṹ	Udṹ sg. Adun, Adṹ pl.	Dũya [‘language of home’]	Adong	Jaba Lungu, Ungu, Jaba Gengere [‘Jaba of the slopes’]	1,500 (NAT 1949). 21 villages [2008]	Kaduna State, Jema’a, Jaba LGAs; Nasarawa State, Karu LGA
Gyong	Gyongic			Agoma, Kagoma	Gyong	Gong		Gwong, Gyong		6,250 (1934 HDG)	Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA
Kamantan	Gyongic			Kamanton = Kamantan		Angan				3,600 (NAT 1949); 10,000 (1972 Barrett)	Kaduna State, Kachia LGA
Ekhwa	Northern		[Iku status uncertain], Gora, Ankwa	[Iku]–Gora–Ankwa	ékhwá	sg. énéjì pl. ánárè	Ahua		Ehwa	Towns; Gora, Ankwa	Kaduna State, Kachia LGA
Kadara cluster	Northern	Kadara
Eda	Northern	Kadara		Adara	Ànda pl. Àda	Èdà	Kadara			22,000 (NAT 1949); 40,000 (1972 Barrett). Towns: Adunu, Amale, Dakalo, Ishau, Kurmin Iya, Kateri, Bishini, Doka (Kaduna road)	Kaduna State, Kachia LGA; Niger State, Paikoro LGA
Edra	Northern	Kadara			Àndara pl. Àdara	Èdrà	Kadara			Towns; Maru, Kufana, Rimau, Kasuwan Magani, Iri	Kaduna State, Kachia, Kajuru LGAs
Enezhe	Northern	Kadara			Àndara pl. Àdara	Èdrà	Kadara			Towns; Maru, Kufana, Rimau, Kasuwan Magani, Iri	Kaduna State, Kachia, Kajuru LGAs
Kulu	Northwestern			Ikolu, Ikulu	Ankulu	Bekulu				6,000 (NAT 1949)	Kaduna State, Kachia LGA
Ikryo	Northwestern				sg. à-kró pl. ā-kró	ìkryó		West Kuturmi		Two villages	Kaduna State, Kachia LGA
Obiro	Northwestern				sg. óbìrò pl. òbírò	ìbìrò		West Kuturmi		Antara village	Kaduna State, Kachia LGA
Ajiya	Northwestern			Ajuli	Ajiya	Ajiya	Idon, Idong, Idon-Doka-Makyali			3 towns	Kaduna State, Kachia LGA
Ajuwa-Ajegha	Northwestern				Ajuwa	Ajuwa				Towns; Kalla, Afogo, Iburu, Idon, Makyali	Kaduna State, Kajuru LGA

Footnotes

1. Blench, Roger M. 2018. Nominal affixes and number marking in the Plateau languages of Central Nigeria. In John R. Watters (ed.), East Benue-Congo: Nouns, pronouns, and verbs, 107–172. Berlin: Language Science Press. doi:10.5281/zenodo.1314325
2. Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.

References

• Blench, Roger (2008). Prospecting proto-Plateau. Manuscript.

 This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 3.0 license.

External links

• Plateau materials from Roger Blench