The Biu–Mandara or Central Chadic languages of the

Afro-Asiatic The Afroasiatic languages (also known as Afro-Asiatic, Afrasian, Hamito-Semitic, or Semito-Hamitic) are a language family (or "phylum") of about 400 languages spoken predominantly in West Asia, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and parts of th ...

family are spoken in Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon. A reconstruction of Proto-Central Chadic has been proposed by Gravina (2014).

Languages

Gravina (2014)

Gravina (2014) classifies Central Chadic as follows, as part of a reconstruction of the proto-language. Letters and numbers in parentheses correspond to branches in previous classifications. The greatest changes are breaking up and reassigning the languages of the old Mafa branch (A.5) and Mandage (Kotoko) branch (B.1). *Central Chadic **South ***South ****Bata (A.8) *****Bata Proper: Bacama, Bata, Fali, Gude,

Gudu Gudu is a Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Balle. With an area of 3,478 km and a population of 95,544 at the 2006 census, with an estimated population of 139,000 in 2019. Gudu shares a boun ...

, Holma (†),

Jimi Jimi may refer to: * Jimi language (Cameroon) * Jimi language (Nigeria) * Jimi languages * Jimi system, administration system of ancient China * Jimi River, in Papua New Guinea * Jimi Valley, in Papua New Guinea * Jimi District, in Papua New ...

, Ngwaba (from A.1 Tera), Nzanyi, Sharwa *****Tsuvan: Tsuvan, Zizilivakan ****Daba (A.7) *****Daba Proper: Daba, Mazagway Hidi *****Mina: Mina, Mbudum *****Buwal: Buwal,

Gavar Gavar ( ) is a town in Armenia serving as the administrative centre of the Gavar Municipality and the Gegharkunik Province. It is situated among the high mountains of Gegham range to the west of Lake Sevan, with an average height of 1982 meter ...

****Mafa (= South A.5 Mafa (d)): Mafa, Mefele, Cuvok ****Tera (A.1): *****East Tera:

Boga Boga is a common name for fishes and may refer to: *''Haemulon vittata'' *''Haemulon vittatum'' *''Leporinus obtusidens'' Boga may also refer to: * Boga (soft drink), a Tunisian brand of soft drinks * BOGA, the Bern Botanical Gardens in Switzer ...

, Ga'anda, Hwana *****(West Tera): Jara,

Tera Tera or TERA may refer to: People * Tera Hunter, American professor of history * Tera Patrick (born 1976) American pornographic actress * Tera people, an ethnic group in Gombe State, Nigeria Places * Téra, Niger * Tera, Paphos, Cyprus * ...

**** Sukur (A.6) **Hurza ***Hurza (from A.5 Mafa): Vame, Mbuko **North ***Margi–Mandara–Mofu ****Margi (A.2) *****Bura: Bura, Cibak, Putai, Nggwahyi *****Margi Proper:

Kilba The Kilba people (also called Həba) are an ethnic group in the Hong local government area of Adamawa State (formerly Gongola State) in Nigeria. History In the past, Həba lived in large clan-based mountain communities. These mountain commun ...

, Margi South,

Margi Margi () is a village located in the Nicosia District of Cyprus. Before 1960, the village population was made up almost exclusively of Turkish Cypriot Turkish Cypriots or Cypriot Turks ( or ; ) are so called ethnic Turks originating from Cyp ...

****Mandara (A.4): *****Wandala: Mandara ( Malgwa), Glavda *****Dghwede:

Cineni Cineni is a village in Gwoza, Borno State, Nigeria. It is the home of the Cineni language Cineni is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Borno State, Nigeria in the single village of Cineni. In a 2006 paper, Roger Blench Roger Marsh Blench ...

, Dghwede, Guduf, Gava, Gvoko *****Podoko: Podoko, Matal (from A.5 Mafa) ****Mofu (part of South A.5 Mafa) *****Tokombere: Ouldeme,

Mada Mada () is a term used in both Hindu theology and mythology. It is one of the Arishadvargas. It refers to one of the six enemies of the mind or a vice according to the Hindu scriptures. It is the Hindu equivalent of Pride from the seven deadly ...

, Muyang, Molokwo *****Meri: Zulgo, Gemzek, Merey, Dugwor *****Mofu Proper: Mofu North, Mofu-Gudur ***Maroua ****Maroua (part of South A.5 Mafa (c)): Giziga North, Giziga South, Mbazla ***Lamang ****Lamang (West A.4 Wandala): Lamang,

Hdi The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, which ...

, Mabas ***Higi ****Higi (A.3): Bana, Hya, Psikyɛ, Kamwe, Kirya-Konzel ***Musgum – North Kotoko ****Kotoko Island: Buduma ****Kotoko North: Mpade, Afaɗə, Malgbe, Maltam ****Musgum (B.2): Musgum, Mbara, Muskum (†) ***Kotoko Centre ****Kotoko Centre: Lagwan, Mser ***Kotoko South ****Kotoko South:

Zina ''Zināʾ'' () or ''zinā'' ( or ) is an Islamic legal term referring to unlawful sexual intercourse. According to traditional jurisprudence, ''zina'' can include adultery, fornication, prostitution, sodomy, incest, and bestiality. ''Zi ...

Mazera Mazera is an adventure game created by Cold River Studios and published by Astraware for Palm OS and Pocket PC. The player plays Ix, who as a boy was captured by an alien race called the Mazerians and imprisoned in their zoo, until one day somet ...

*** Gidar Jilbe was not classified, as no sources were available.

Blench (2006)

The branches of Biu–Mandara traditionally go by either names or letters and numbers in an outline format. Blench (2006) organizes them as follows:Blench, 2006
The Afro-Asiatic Languages: Classification and Reference List
(ms) *Biu–Mandara **Tera (A.1):

, Pidlimdi (Hinna), Jara, Ga'anda, Gabin,

, Ngwaba, Hwana **Bura–Higi ***Bura (A.2): Bura-Pabir (Bura), Cibak (Kyibaku), Nggwahyi, Huba (Kilba), Putai (Marghi West),

Marghi Central Margi, also known as Marghi and Marghi Central, is a Chadic language (a branch of Afroasiatic) spoken in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Chad. It is perhaps the best described of the Biu–Mandara branch of that family. Marghi South language and Putai a ...

(Margi, Margi Babal),

Marghi South Marghi South is a Chadic language of Nigeria. It is perhaps closer to Huba than it is to Margi Margi () is a village located in the Nicosia District of Cyprus. Before 1960, the village population was made up almost exclusively of Turkish Cyp ...

***? Kofa ***Higi (A.3): Kamwə ( Psikyɛ, Higi), Bana, Hya, ? Kirya-Konzəl **Wandala–Mafa ***Wandala (Mandara) (A.4) ****East: Wandala (Mura, Mandara, Malgwa), Glavda (Gəlvaxdaxa) **** Parəkwa (Podoko) ****West: Gəvoko, Guduf-Gava (

), Dghweɗe,

(Xədi, Hedi, Tur), Lamang,

Woga The World Olympic Gymnastics Academy (WOGA) is a two-facility gymnastics club located in Frisco and Plano. In 1994, WOGA was established by Yevgeny Marchenko, a World Sports acrobatic champion who guided Carly Patterson to her gold medal, an ...

, Vemgo, Mabas **** Sukur (Sakwun, A.6) ***Mafa (A.5) ****Northeast Mafa: Vame (Pəlasla), Mbuko, Gaduwa **** Matal (Muktele) ****South Mafa *****(a) Wuzlam (Ouldémé), Muyang, Maɗa, Məlokwo *****(b) Zəlgwa-Minew, Gemzek, Ɗugwor, Mikere, Merey *****(c) North Giziga, South Giziga, North Mofu, Mofu-Gudur (South Mofu), Baldemu (Mbazlam) *****(d) Cuvok, Mafa, Mefele, Shügule **Daba (A.7) ***North Daba: Buwal (Gadala),

(Kortchi) ***South Daba: Mina (Besleri, Hina), Daba ( Mazagway), Mbədam **Bata (Gbwata) (A.8): Bacama, Bata (Gbwata), Sharwa, Tsuvan, Gude,

Fali of Mubi Fali, or Fali of Mubi after the local city, is a Chadic dialect cluster spoken in Nigeria, in Adamawa State Adamawa is a States of Nigeria, state in the North East (Nigeria), North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered by Borno State, ...

, Zizilivakan (Ulan Mazhilvən, Fali of Jilbu),

(Jimjimən),

, Holma (†), Nzanyi **Mandage (Kotoko) (B.1) ***South Mandage: Msər (Kousseri), Lagwan (Logone) ***? Jilbe ***North Mandage: Afaɗə, Maslam, Malgbe (Gulfey), Mpadə **'' Buduma (Yedina)'' **East–Central ***'' Gidar (Kaɗa)'' ***Munjuk (B.2): Mbara, Muskum (Muzuk) (†), Mpus, Beege (Jafga), Vulum (Mulwi) ***Mida'a (< B.1): Jina, Majəra

Newman (1977)

Central Chadic classification per Newman (1977): Biu-Mandara languages

Names and locations (Nigeria)

Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations (in

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

only) from Blench (2019).

South

North

Numerals

Comparison of numerals in individual languages:

Notes

References

Central Chadic resources
at africanlanguages.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Biu-Mandara languages Chadic languages Biu-Mandara languages