South Plateau languages

The South Plateau languages, also known as Jilic–Eggonic, are spoken in central Nigeria. Eggon has 150,000 speakers and Jili (Lijili, Mijili) perhaps 100,000.

South Plateau
Jilic–Eggonic
Geographic
distribution
Nigeria
Linguistic classificationNiger–Congo?
Subdivisions
  • Eggonic
  • Jilic
Glottologjili1242

Classification

Jilic (Koro) and Eggonic are clearly valid groups. Their connection was proposed in Blench (2006, 2008).

South Plateau 
 Eggonic 

Eggon

Ake

 Jilic (Koro) 

Jili (Lijili)

Jijili (Tanjijili)

Two additional languages, Koro Nulu (a.k.a. Koro Ija) and Koro Zuba (collectively known as "Ija-Zuba") are ethnically Koro. However, they have very low lexical similarity with each other (~ 7%), and Koro Zuba at least appears to be a Nupoid language.

Names and locations

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


LanguageBranchDialectsAlternate spellingsOwn name for languageEndonym(s)Other names (location-based)Other names for languageExonym(s)SpeakersLocation(s)
AkeEggonicAkye, Aike354 (Meek 1925); 3000 (Blench 1999)Nasarawa State, Lafia LGA
EggonEggonic25 dialects are locally recognised although the status of these is unclearEgononumu EgonMo EgonMada Eggon, Hill Mada52,000 (Welmers 1971)Nasarawa State, Akwanga, Nassarawa–Eggon and Lafia LGAs
Koro IjaJilicOne villageFederal Capital Territory, near Lambata
Koro ZubaJilicOne villageFederal Capital Territory, near Zuba
JiliJilicMegili, Migili (orthographic form)LijiliJijili (singular), Mijili (plural)Koro of Lafia50,000 (1985 UBS)Plateau State, Lafia and Awe LGAs
JijiliJilicTanjijiliUjijili pl. aJijiliKoro Funtu of Kafin Koro, Koro of ShakoyiAbout 8 settlements and probably some 8000 speakers (1999)Niger State, Chanchaga and Suleija LGAs, north from the road from Minna to Suleja around Kafin Koro

References

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


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