Beromic languages
The four Beromic languages are a branch of the Plateau languages spoken in central Nigeria by approximately 1 million people.
| Beromic | |
|---|---|
| Plateau II | |
| Geographic distribution | Nigeria |
| Linguistic classification | Niger–Congo? |
| Glottolog | iten1244 |
Names and locations
Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).[1]
| Language | Cluster | Dialects | Alternate spellings | Own name for language | Endonym(s) | Other names (location-based) | Other names for language | Exonym(s) | Speakers | Location(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aten | Ten, Etien | sg Àtên, pl. Nìtèn | Ganawuri, Jal | 6,710 (1963 Census): est. 40,000 (Kjenstad 1988); est. 40,000 (Blench 2003) | Plateau State, Barkin Ladi LGA; Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA | |||||
| Berom | Gyel–Kuru–Vwang; Fan–Foron–Heikpang; Bachit–Gashish; Du–Ropp–Rim–Riyom; Hoss (?). Nincut is treated as a separate language. | Birom, Berum | Cèn Bèrom | sg. Wòrom, pl. Berom, Birom (Du dialect) | Afango, Akuut, Baho, Gbang, Kibbo, Kibo, Kibbun, Kibyen, Sine | Shosho, Shaushau (not recommended) | 54,500 (HDG), 200,000 (1985 SIL) | Plateau State, Jos and Barkin Ladi LGAs; Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA | ||
| Cara | Chara, Nfachara, Fakara, Pakara, Fachara, Terea, Teria, Terri, Tariya | 735 (1936 HDG); 5000 (Blench est. 2012). Nine villages | Plateau State, Bassa LGA | |||||||
| Shall–Zwall cluster | Shall–Zwall | Bauchi State, Dass LGA | ||||||||
| Shall | Shall–Zwall | |||||||||
| Zwall | Shall–Zwall | |||||||||
| Nincut | Aboro | 8 villages (5000 ? Blench 2003 est.) | Kaduna State, ?? LGA. ca. 7 km. north of Fadan Karshe |
Comparative vocabulary
Sample basic vocabulary of Beromic languages from Blench (2006):[2]
| Gloss | Berom F. | Berom R. | Tahos | Nincut | Cara | Iten | Shall | Zwall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eye | rēyīʃ | byènêŋ ryis | ryis | ris | ìrisé̱ | iʃe | iʃi | |
| eyes | bāyīʃ | byénêŋ bayis | be-yis | anyis | ìrwisé̱ | |||
| nose | wol | wol | wɔl | i-ŋwul | ìlol | munon | mun | |
| noses | bawol | bawol | be-wɔl | a-ŋwul | ìlyol | |||
| tongue | lɛ̄m | lem | lɛm | lɛm | ìle̱m | lumo | ||
| tongues | balɛ̄m | balem | lɛlɛm | a-lɛm | ìlywe̱m | |||
| ear | fwóŋ | twoŋ | cyoŋ | ki-cuŋ | ìtsóró | yan | yan | |
| ears | bētòŋ | bètòŋ | be-toŋ | a-tuŋ | ìtórò | |||
| mouth | nú | nu | nu | ku-nu | è̱nú | nun | kunun | |
| mouths | nenu | nènù | ni-nu | a-nu | nìnù | |||
| tooth | hywín | hwin | kwin | windi | ìdzìnè̱ | yinin | ||
| teeth | ngyìn | yìn | vin | anyindi | ìdziné̱ | |||
| blood | nèmí | mmǐ; mmì (pl.) | nimi | mi | nnyi | bari | baren | |
| bone | kùp | kùp | kup | vis | ìkub | kup | ||
| bones | bekup | bekùp | be-kup | agis | ìkpub | |||
| eat | re | re | re | reke+ | ri | |||
| eat (pl.) | reres | rere | re | |||||
| tree | tin, retin cɔ̀gɔ̄t | cɔgɔt | cɔ̀gɔt | tsɔ́gɔt | fɔn | èhôn | kun | kun |
| trees | batin cɔgɔ́t | cɔ́gɔt | cɔgɔ́t | bítsɔ́gɔ́t | akɔn | nìhòn | ||
| water | nshí | nèshí | ninci | mal | nnè̱n | jinen | jini |
Notes
- Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
- Blench, Roger. 2006. Comparative Beromic.
References
- Blench (2008) "Prospecting proto-Plateau" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-04-07.. Manuscript.
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