Dakoid languages

The Dakoid languages are a branch of the Northern Bantoid languages spoken in Taraba and Adamawa states of eastern Nigeria.

Dakoid
Geographic
distribution
Nigeria
Linguistic classificationNiger–Congo?
Subdivisions
  • (unclear)
Glottologdako1256
The Dakoid languages shown within Nigeria

Languages

Classification

Greenberg placed Samba Daka (Daka) within his Adamawa proposal, as group G3, but Bennett (1983) demonstrated to general satisfaction that it is a Benue–Congo language, though its placement within Benue–Congo is disputed. Blench (2010) considers it to be Benue–Congo. Boyd (ms), however, considers Daka an isolate branch within Niger–Congo (Blench 2008).

Dong (Donga), though clearly Niger–Congo, is difficult to classify. There is no published data on Gaa (Tiba), and Taram (listed as a dialect of Daka by Ethnologue) is only known from data collected in 1931 (Blench 2008).

Names and locations

Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).[1]

LanguageClusterDialectsAlternate spellingsOwn name for languageEndonym(s)SpeakersLocation(s)
DirimIt may not actually be separate from Samba Daka (q.v.)Daka9,000 (CAPRO, 1992)Taraba State, Bali LGA, Garba Chede area
Lamja-Deŋsa-Tola clusterDialects are mutually intelligible. Likely not distinct enough from the Samba Daka cluster to be a separate language (q.v.).Lamjavu, Deŋsavu, TolavuThere are 13 villages of Lamja and Deŋsa. The central town of the Lamja is Ganglamja. The Deŋsa live south of the Lamja.Taraba State, Mayo Belwa LGAs
Samba Daka clusterSamba DakaThese dialects may form a dialect or language cluster together with Lamja and Taram (q.v.). Dirim could another dialect, or perhaps just a name for the Samba Daka.Chamba–Daka, Samba, Chamba, Tchamba, Tsamba, Jama, DakaSama MumSamabu66,000 (1952); 60,000 (1982 SIL); more than 100,000 (1990)Taraba State, Ganye, Jalingo, Bali, Zing, and Mayo Belwa LGAs
Samba DakaSamba Daka
Samba JanganiSamba Daka
Samba NnakenyareSamba Daka
Samba of MapeoSamba Daka
Dongca. 20,000Taraba State, Zing and Mayo Belwa LGAs. At least six villages
Gaa<5000 (1987 Blench)Adamawa State: Ganye LGA: Tiba Plateau

Footnotes

  1. Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.

References

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