Northern Bantoid languages explained

Northern Bantoid
Also Known As:North Bantoid
Region:Nigeria and Cameroon
Familycolor:Niger-Congo
Fam2:Atlantic–Congo
Fam3:Volta-Congo
Fam4:Benue–Congo
Fam5:Bantoid
Protoname:Proto-Northern bantoid
Child1:Mambiloid
Child2:Dakoid
Child3:Tikar
Glotto:nort3168
Glottorefname:Northern Bantoid

Northern Bantoid (or North Bantoid) is a branch of the Bantoid languages. It consists of the Mambiloid, Dakoid, and Tikar languages of eastern Nigeria and west-central Cameroon.

History

A proposal that divided Bantoid into North and South Bantoid was introduced by Williamson.[1] [2]

Blench argues for the unity of North Bantoid by citing phonological, lexical, and morphological evidence.

Internal classification

Blench classifies these languages as North Bantoid.

Language contact

Dakoid languages have had long-term contact with Adamawa languages, while the Tikar language shares many similarities with the Bafia languages (also known as the A50 Bantu languages).[3]

Numerals

Comparison of numerals in individual languages:[4]

Classification Language 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Dakoid nòòní bààrá tárā nààsá túùná túnìn dùtím dùtím-kə́rə́rə́ (7+ 1) kúūm kúūm-kə́rə́rə́ (9+ 1)
Mambiloid, Mambila-Konja, Konja mán fèè tar nàà cùn cánmán (5+ 1) cɛnfèè (5+ 2) cɛtar (5+ 3) cɛnàà (5+ 4) bɨfɛ́ŋ
Mambiloid, Mambila-Konja, Konja tʃínī fèː táːr nɑː̀ tʃúên tʃɛ́n də̄r tʃínī (5+ 1) tʃɛ́n fèjè (5+ 2) tʃɛ́táːr (5+ 3) tʃɛ́n nàː (5+ 4) jūtār
Mambiloid, Mambila-Konja, Magu-Kamkam-Kila mwē hàːn tàːr nàːn tíɛ̂n tɛ́mwē (5+ 1) tɛ́nàːn (5+ 2) tɛ́ntàːr (5+ 3) tɛ́nnàːn (5+ 4) tʃɔ́ŋ
Mambiloid, Mambila-Konja, Mambila tʃɛ́n fàl taɡár neà tîn téndʒɛ́n (5+ 1) tébɛl (5+ 2) téndɛle (5+ 3) tárɛ̀neà (5+ 4) julà
Mambiloid, Mambila-Konja, Mambila tʃɛ́n * c = tʃ fàl tar tín téndʒɛ́n (5+ 1) * j = dʒ téfɛ́l (5+ 2) téndɛll (5+ 3) tárɛ́nà (5+ 4) jullà * y = j
Mambiloid, Ndoro Ndoola (Doori) (1) jér hàːlā tāːɾā njẽ́ sónī sóŋ kér (5+ 1) sóŋ kwàlà (5+ 2) sóŋ tāːrā (5+ 3) sóŋ njẽ́ (5+ 4) jóbə̄t
Mambiloid, Ndoro Ndoola (Doori) (2) jíɾə̀ hàːlā tāːɾā njã́ sónī ʃóŋkíɾə̀ (5+ 1) ʃóŋkwàlà (5+ 2) ʃóŋtāːrā (5+ 3) ʃóŋnjá (5+ 4) jóbə̄t
Mambiloid, Suga-Vute, Suga mum ɓaara taara naànà tɛ́ɛ́ŋna tánmum (5+ 1) tánɓáára (5+ 2) sɛ́ɛ̀ tínáànà (5+ 4) ɟer
Mambiloid, Suga-Vute, Vute Vute (1) mwĩ ɓɨrɨ́b / ɓaám taarɨ́b nààsɨ̀b ŋɡiiì tínmwĩ (5+ 1; old #5 is tíŋ) tɨɓáam (5+ 2) sə́r ɓwécṍ cóóŋ
Mambiloid, Suga-Vute, Vute Vute (2) mūí ɓāám / ɓɨ̄rɨ́p tāārɨ́p nààsɨ́b ŋɡīì tín mūí (5+ 1) tɨ́ ɓāám (5+ 2) sə́r ɓwé cóŋ (? 10) cóŋ
Mambiloid, Suga-Vute, Vute Wawa (1) mǒsī; mǒī * bə̀mbə́ tābə́ nǎrə̄bə̀ téēnbə̄ té-mōī (5+ 1) té-bə̀mbə́ (5+ 2) tén-tābə́ (5+ 3) té-nàrə̄bə́ (5+ 4) tʃɔ́ŋ / bə̌ntə̄
Mambiloid, Suga-Vute, Vute Wawa (2) mʊ́ɾsī bɔ̄mbə̀ tábə̀ náɾbə̀ tɛ̄nbə́ tɛ̄mʊ́ɪ / dʒuiɡɔ (5+ 1) * tɛ́bɔ̀mbə̀ / dʒuididi (5+ 2) tɛ́nàɾbə̀ / dʒuitati (5+ 3) tɛ́tàbə̀ / dʒuːənai (5+ 4) tʃɔ̄ŋ (< from Vute)
Beboid mʷɛ bifʷé bitɔ binwà bitîŋ buɬɔ fùmáɲàŋ (8 - 1) ɲàŋ fùmájufi (10 - 1) jufi
Beboid Cung (Mbuk) (1) ḿmū tálé n̄nā ítī ńnānítá ńɲáŋ bʷùkə̀ dʒófí
Beboid Cung (Chung) (2) mu fa tale ə́nà so nânita ɲaŋ bùkə dʒofi
Beboid Kemedzung (1) mò (miu) / kɨ̀tɨ́ kɨ́mó (Gender 7/8) fé / bɨ̀tɨ́ bífé té / bɨ̀tɨ́ bíté nà / bɨ̀tɨ́ bínɑ̀ tɨ̀ŋ / bɨ̀tɨ́ bítɨ̀ŋ búsí / bɨ̀tɨ́ búsí fùmbá / bɨ̀tɨ́ fùmbɑ́ yàŋ / bɨ̀tɨ́ yàŋ fùmbóò / bɨ̀tɨ́ fùmbóò yɔ́(yɔfu) / bɨ̀tɨ́ yɔ́(yɔfu)
Beboid Kemedzung (2) mmȍ bifɛ́ bitɛ binà bitɨ̃̀ buse fũ̀mbà jã̏ fũ̀mbɔ̀ jɔ̀ː
Beboid āmū ífə ítāt īnāː ítɪː úsiː fùmádʒâŋ (? 8) dʒàŋ fùmádzófu (? 10) dzófú
Beboid Nchane (Mungong) (1) m⁴ba³ka⁴ fĩ³ tə³lə² nə³⁴ tĩ³⁴ so³⁴ bu³so³fwɪ⁴ nja³⁴ bvu³kə⁴ ju³fə⁴
Beboid Nchane (Ncane) (2) mɪ3ma4 fɛː2 tʰɛ3dɪ3 nɛ34 tʰəŋ34 bu3so23 bu3so3ʃwɪ23 ɲa34 bvu3ɡə2 ʒu3fɛ4
Beboid māŋ̀ fɛ́ɛ́ tɛɛ nɛ * tin sɔɔtʃàn c = [tʃ] sɔɔʃwî sh = [ʃ] ɲàŋ ñ= [ɲ] bvùùkɛ joofè y = [j]
Beboid ŋk͡paŋ3 fɛː4 tɛː4 nɛː42 tiŋ42 bu3sɔː3 ɱfo2mɛ4ɲaːŋ2 (8 - 1) ɲaːŋ2 ɱfo2mɛ4joː24fi42 (10 - 1) joː24fi42
Ekoid yə́t éβáé ésá énî érôn èsáɡàsá (3 + 3) èníɡìsá (4 + 3) èníɡànî (4 + 4) érôn énî (5 + 4) ófó
Ekoid, Bakor njɛŋ mbal nra nni nlɔn nrakera (3 + 3 ?) eʃɛma nɛkeni (4 + 4 ?) eʃɛmʷubu (10 - 1?) ewubu
Ekoid, Bakor n-dʒi m-ba n-sa n-nɛ n-dɔːn asighasa (3 + 3 ?) asimma aneɡhane (4 + 4 ?) asima-wobo (10 -1?) wobo
Ekoid, Bakor njirəng [ńjírə́ŋ] ibal [íbâ] ira [írá] ini [ínî] iro⃬n [írô̱n] irara [ìrârà] arimini [àrímī̱nî] anigini [àníɡīnî] arumiɡol [àrúmīɡôl] iɡol [íɡôl]
Jarawan, Nigerian ɗɪ́k ɓâr tàːt jìːn tʷàːn tʷàŋsɔ̀lmʷák kʲɛ́stàˑt (5 + 2) kʲɛ́ʃìn (5 + 3) kʲɛ́stʷàn (5 + 4) lʊ̀m
Jarawan, Nigerian mon / mwashat rap taru ine tonɡno tonɡno war mwashat (5 + 1) tonɡno war rap (5 + 2) tonɡno war taru (5 + 3) tonɡno war ine (5 + 4) lum
Mamfe ɡɛ́mâ ópéá ólɛ́ ónì ótà òkéné òkénàmà (6 + 1) ónè ónēnàmà (8 + 1) ófíà
Mamfe ɛ́mɔ̂t bɛpây bɛ́rát mɛ́nwî bɛ́tây bɛ́tándât (2 x 3) ? * tándrámɔ̂t (6 + 1) ? ** mɛ́nɛ̀n mɛ́nɛ̀n nɛ̀ àmɔ̀t (' 8 + 1 ') byó
Mbe k. bɛ̀tép lètêl lé èjì bɛ́pʷâl lè bɛ̀tépbɛ́fwɔ̂r* bɛ́pʷâl bɛ́sá bɛ́ñî bɛ́tʃân bɛ̀sêsár (3 + 3) bɛ̀tânèbɛ́pʷâl (5 + 2) bɛ̀ñîbɛ̀ñî (4 + 2) bɛ́tânèbɛ́ñî (5 + 4) bɛ́fwɔ̂r

References

Notes and References

  1. Williamson, Kay (1989) 'Niger–Congo Overview'. In: The Niger–Congo languages, ed. by John Bendor-Samuel, 3—45. University Press of America.
  2. Blench, Roger [1987] 'A new classification of Bantoid languages.' Unpublished paper presented at 17th Colloquium on African Languages and Linguistics, Leiden.
  3. Blench, Roger. The North Bantoid hypothesis.
  4. Web site: The Niger-Congo Language Phylum. Chan. Eugene. Numeral Systems of the World's Languages. 2019.