Warji language
Warji (Warjawa) or Sirzakwai is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Speakers are shifting to Hausa.[1]
| Warji | |
|---|---|
| Sirzakwai | |
| Native to | Nigeria |
| Region | Bauchi State |
Native speakers | 78,000 (2000)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | wji |
| Glottolog | warj1253 |
| ELP | Warji |
Distribution
Warji is spoken in:[2]
- Ganjuwa district, Darazo LGA, Bauchi State
- Warji district, Ningi LGA, Bauchi State
- Birnin Kudu LGA, Jigawa State
Morphology
Within the Bade–Warji languages, Warji has the most complex nominal plural marking system.[3] Plurals are marked by the following suffixes.[2]
- -tsǝ
- -sA (-sǝ, -sa)
- -Aŋsǝ (-ǝŋsǝ, -aŋsǝ)
- -(aŋ)ʃi (-shi, -aŋshi; stem-final -i is assimilated)
These may be all allomorphs of a single suffix, with optional inserted nasals.
Suppletive nominal plurals are:[2]
| English | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| child | ŋaa | mǝru |
| girl | ŋaagǝɗ | mǝrǝgudi |
| woman | gǝɗ | guɗi |
| man | mumwan | mumwanci |
| human being | warji | zarsǝ |
Notes
- Warji at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- Blench, Roger Wordlist of the Sirzakwai (Warji) language with Hausa and English equivalents.
- Blench, Roger. 2021. The erosion of number marking in West Chadic Roger Blench. WOCAL, Leiden.
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