The Kamuku languages are a branch of the
Kainji languages
The Kainji languages are a group of about 60 related languages spoken in west-central Nigeria. They form part of the Central Nigerian (Platoid) branch of Benue–Congo.
Demographics
Four of the most widely spoken Kainji languages are Tsuvadi ( ...
spoken by the
Kamuku people
The Kamuku are an ethnic group in central Nigeria. The Kamuku language belongs to the Kainji languages, Kainji family and is related to Lela language, C'lela, Duka language, Duka, and Kambari languages, Kambari.
They mainly live in the west-centra ...
of
Niger State
Niger State is a state in the North Central (Nigeria), North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kaduna State and the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory, to the north by Kebbi State and Zamfara State, ...
, western
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, ...
, mostly in
Mariga and
Rafi LGAs.
Although formerly classified as Kamuku, Pongu is now placed in a related branch, the
Pongu (Shiroro) languages, and
Western Acipa (Cipu) with the
Kambari languages
The Kambari or Kamberi languages) are a cluster of Kainji languages spoken in northwestern Nigeria (Kebbi State and Niger State).
Geographic distribution
The Kambarri languages are spoken in Kebbi and Niger States, Nigeria. There are also some s ...
.
Languages
Blench (2012)
Blench (2012) lists the following Kamuku languages and their sociolinguistic situations. Kamuku internal classification can be briefly summarised as:
*Proto-Kamuku
**
Hungwəryə
**Core Kamuku (‘Yara)
***
Cinda-Regi:
Cinda,
Regi-
Shiyabe,
Orogo,
Kuki;
Kuru-
Maruba
***
Səgəmuk (Zubazuba);
Sama-
Sambuga
***
Kagare
***Rogo II
''‘Yara'', or ''Cinda-Regi-Kuki-Kuru-Maruba'', is the largest Kamuku subgroup. There are four main Cinda-Regi varieties,
Cinda,
Regi,
Orogo, and
Kuki.
Kuru and
Maruba, both named after villages, are close to each other.
Shiyabe is close to
tuRogo. However, Rogo can refer to two varieties, namely a Cinda-Regi variety and another non-Cinda-Regi variety (Rogo II).
Səgəmuk (Zubazuba),
Tushyabe, and
Turubaruba are all spoken in Igwama town of
Mariga LGA,
Niger State
Niger State is a state in the North Central (Nigeria), North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kaduna State and the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory, to the north by Kebbi State and Zamfara State, ...
.
Kagare (
Kwagere) is spoken in Unguwar Tanko village. There is partial intelligibility with
Cinda,
Regi and
Səgəmuk (Zubazuba).
Names for various Kamuku languages:
Extinct languages
Extinct Kamuku languages:
*
Sambuga (extinct) and
Shama (still spoken) are closely related.
*
Makɨci (?
əkɨci was an extinct Kamuku language spoken in Makɨci village and in a village cluster a few kilometres east of Igwama.
*
Ingwai (Inkwai) is extinct.
*The village of Saya may have also spoken a Kamuku language. Ingwai and Saya speakers have both switched to
Hausa
Hausa may refer to:
* Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa
* Hausa language, spoken in West Africa
* Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states
* Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse
See also
...
.
*
Kwacika (extinct) is reported to be a Kamuku language.
Blench (2018)
Kamuku classification by Blench (2018):
[Blench, Roger M. 2018. Nominal affixing in the Kainji languages of northwestern and central Nigeria. In John R. Watters (ed.), ''East Benue-Congo: Nouns, pronouns, and verbs'', 59–106. Berlin: Language Science Press. ]
*Kamuku
**
Hungwəryə
**Core Kamuku (‘Yara)
***
Sama-
Sambuga (extinct)
***
Makici (extinct)
***
Zubazuba
***
Inkwai (extinct)
***
Regi,
Kuki,
Rogo-
Shyabe
***
Cinda cluster
Each lect is generally identified with an individual hill in the
Mariga area of
Niger State
Niger State is a state in the North Central (Nigeria), North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kaduna State and the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory, to the north by Kebbi State and Zamfara State, ...
.
See also
*
Pongu languages, also known as ''Kamuku languages''
References
Further reading
*
Sociolinguistic survey (level one) of the Kamuku language cluster'
External links
{{Platoid languages
Kainji languages