Jarawa language (Nigeria) explained

Jarawa language (Nigeria) should not be confused with Jarawa language (Andaman Islands).

Jarawa
Region:	northern Nigeria, near Bauchi
Speakers:	250,000 (dialects with ISO codes)
Date:	2006–2011
Ref:	e18
Familycolor:	Niger-Congo
Fam2:	Atlantic–Congo
Fam3:	Volta-Congo
Fam4:	Benue–Congo
Fam5:	Bantoid
Fam6:	Southern Bantoid
Fam7:	Bantu
Fam8:	Mbam-Bube-Jarawan
Fam9:	Jarawan
Fam10:	Nigerian Jarawan
Dia1:	Zhár (Bankal)
Dia2:	Zugur (Duguri)
Dia3:	Gwak (Gingwak)
Dia4:	Ndaŋshi
Dia5:	Dòòrì
Dia6:	Mbat (Bada)
Dia7:	Mùùn
Dia8:	Kantana
Dia9:	Dàmùl
Lc1:	jjr
Ld1:	Zhár (Bankal)
Lc4:	jgk
Ld4:	Gwak (Gingwak)
Lc2:	dbm
Ld2:	Zugur (Duguri)
Lc3:	bau
Ld3:	Mbat (Bada)
Glotto:	jara1263
Glottorefname:	Jarawa (Nigeria)

Jarawa (also known as Jar, Jara, or in Hausa: Jaranci) is the most populous of the Bantu languages of northern Nigeria. It is a dialect cluster consisting of many varieties.

Phonology

!Labial!Alveolar!Palatal!Velar!Glottal

Plosive	voiceless	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/	(pronounced as /link/)
	voiced	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
	implosive	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Affricate	voiceless				pronounced as /link/
	voiced			pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Fricative	voiceless	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
	voiced	(pronounced as /link/)	pronounced as /link/
Nasal		pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Rhotic			pronounced as /link/
Approximant		pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/

• /β/ only appears as a marginal phoneme.
• [ʔ] only appears in non-word-initial syllables.
• Sounds /n, t, l, r/ can be heard as palatal or retroflex [ɲ, ʈ, ɭ, ɽ] in word-final position. /k/ can also be heard as uvular [q] in the same position, and may also alternate with [ʁ] or [ɢ].
• Sounds /k͡x, ɡ͡ɣ/ can be heard as fricatives [x, ɣ] or [χ, ʁ] in intervocalic position.

Vowels in the Mbat dialect!!Front!Central!Back

Close	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Near-close	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Mid	(pronounced as /link/)	pronounced as /link/	(pronounced as /link/)
Open		pronounced as /link/

• Sounds /ɛ, ɔ/ only appear after glides.

Dialects

Jarawa dialects are:

• Zhár (Bankal)
• Zugur (Duguri)
• Gwak (Gingwak)
• Ndaŋshi
• Dòòrì
• Mbat (Bada)
• Mùùn
• Kantana
• Dàmùl

Kantana may be a distinct language.

Blench (2019) lists these varieties as dialects of Jar (Jarawa).^[1]

• Zhar
• Ligri
• Kantana
• Bobar (?)
• Gwak (Gingwak)
• Dõõri
• Mbat
• Mbat-Galamkya

Notes and References

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