| Nupoid | |
| Region: | Central Nigeria
|
| Familycolor: | Niger-Congo |
| Fam2: | Atlantic–Congo |
| Fam3: | Volta–Niger |
| Child1: | Ebira–Gade |
| Child2: | Nupe–Gbagyi |
| Glotto: | nupo1239 |
| Glottorefname: | Nupoid |
The Nupoid languages are a branch of Volta–Niger spoken in west-central Nigeria, particularly in southeastern Niger State and northern Kogi State. They include the Nupe, and Ebira languages, each with about 4 million speakers. Most Nupoid languages have 3 level tones.[1]
Roger Blench (2013: 4) classifies the Nupoid languages as follows.[1]
In addition, Koro Zuba is close to Dibo.[2]
Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).[3]
| Language | Cluster | Dialects | Alternate spellings | Own name for language | Endonym(s) | Other names (location-based) | Other names for language | Exonym(s) | Speakers | Location(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dibo | Dibo | Shitako, Zitako, Zhitako | Ganagawa, Ganagana | 4 18,200 (1931 DF); estimate more than 100,000 (1990) – an unknown number of Dibo living among the Gbari no longer speak their own language. | Niger State, Lapai LGA; Federal Capital Territory; Nasarawa State, Nasarawa LGA | ||||||
| Nupe–Nupe Tako cluster | Nupe–Nupe Tako | Central Nupe has become the accepted literary form. | BassaNge | 360,000 (1952); 1,000,000 (1987 UBS) may include closely related languages | Niger State, Lavun, Mariga, Gbako, Agaie, and Lapai LGAs; Kwara State, Edu and Kogi LGAs; Federal Capital Territory; Kogi State, Bassa LGA. Lokoja | ||||||
| Nupe–Nupe Tako | Nife, Nyffe, Anupe | Nupe | Nupe | Nupe Central | Ampeyi, Anupecwayi, Anuperi, Tappah, Takpa, Tapa, Nupenci, Nupencizi | Anufawa, Nyffe | 283,000 (1931 DF); estimated 1,000,000 (2000) | ||||
| Nupe–Nupe Tako | Ibara | Basa Nge | 19,100 (1931 DF) | Kogi State, Bassa LGA, Kwara State | |||||||
| Gede | Gade | Gade | 60,000 (Sterk 1977) | Federal Capital Territory
| |||||||
| Ebira cluster | Ebira | Igbirra, Igbira, Egbira, Egbura | 154,500 (1952 P.Bruns), 500,000 (1980 UBS); about 1M (1989 Adive)[4] | Kwara State, Okene, Okehi, and Kogi LGAs; Nasarawa State, Nasarawa LGA; Edo State, Akoko–Edo LGA | |||||||
| Ebira | Kwara State, Okene, Okehi, and Kogi LGAs | ||||||||||
| Ebira | tụnọ | Igara | Edo State, Akoko–Edo LGA, Igara town | ||||||||
| Ebira | Igu (Egu, Ika, Bira, Birĩ, Panda | Nasarawa State, Nasarawa LGA, Toto and Umaisha towns, Kogi State, Bassa LGA | |||||||||
| A spread of lects not clearly defined but the variation represented here by town names: Vwezhi, Ngenge (Genge, Gyange), or Tawari, Kuta, Diko, Karu, Louome, Kaduna | Ibagyi, Gbagye | East Gwari, Gwari Matai | Gwari | 200,000 (1952 G&C) including Gbari; 250,000 (1985 UBS) | Niger State, Rafi, Chanchaga, Shiroro and Suleija LGAs; Federal Capital Territory; Kaduna State, Kachia LGA; Nasarawa State, Keffi and Nasarawa LGAs | ||||||
| Gbagyi | Gbagyi | more than 50,000 (1989 est.) | Niger State, Rafi LGA | ||||||||
| A spread of lects are named according to town names: Botai, Jezhu, Konge, Kwange (Agbawi, Wake, Wĩ Wahe, or Kwali, Paiko, Izom, Gayegi, Yamma (Gwari Gamma); other lects are also based on river locations: Shigokpna, Zubakpna, Abokpna, Sumwakpna | Gwari Yamma, West Gwari | 200,000 (1952 G&C) including Gbagyi | Niger State, Chanchaga, Suleija, Agaie and Lapai LGAs; Federal Capital Territory; Kaduna State, Kachia LGA; Nasarawa State, Nasarawa LGA | ||||||||
| Gupa, Abawa | estimated more than 10,000 Gupa and 5,000 Abawa (1989) | Niger State, Lapai LGA around Gupa and Edzu villages | |||||||||
| more than 5000 (Blench 1989 est.) | Niger State, Lapai LGA, Ebo town & 11 villages | ||||||||||
| Asu | Asu | Abewa | Ebe | 5000 (Blench 1987) | Niger State Mariga LGA: several villages south of Kontagora on the Mokwa road | ||||||
| Kakanda | Kakanda–Budon, Kakanda–Gbanmi/Sokun | Akanda | Hyabe, Adyaktye | 4,500 (1931); 20,000 (1989 Blench) | Kwara State, Kogi LGA; Niger State, Agaie and Lapai LGAs; communities along the Niger centered on Bida) | ||||||
| Kwara State, Kogi LGA, around Abugi (52 villages) |
The following Proto-Nupoid reconstructions are from Blench (2013).
| Gloss | Proto-Nupoid | |
|---|---|---|
| tree |
| |
| leaf |
| |
| charcoal |
| |
| sand |
| |
| smoke |
| |
| fire |
| |
| wind |
| |
| rain |
| |
| to sharpen |
| |
| elephant |
| |
| buffalo |
| |
| Dioscorea guineensis |
| |
| Colocasia esculenta (cocoyam) |
| |
| Sorghum bicolor (guinea corn, sorghum) |
| |
| one |
| |
| three |
| |
| four |
| |
| five |
| |
| six |
| |
| seven |
| |
| ten |
|
Some Proto-Nupe-Gbari crop name reconstructions are (Blench 2013):
| Gloss | Proto-Nupe-Gbari | |
|---|---|---|
| Pennisetum americanum (long-season millet) |
| |
| Pennisetum americanum (short-season millet) |
| |
| Digitaria exilis |
|