Sur–Myet language explained

Sur–Myet
Also Known As:	Tapshin
Nativename:	kìsúr
Region:	Bauchi State, Plateau State
States:	Nigeria
Speakers:	16,000
Date:	2021
Familycolor:	Niger-Congo
Fam2:	Atlantic–Congo
Fam3:	Benue–Congo
Fam4:	Plateau
Fam5:	Tarokoid
Iso3:	tdl
Glotto:	surr1238
Glottorefname:	Sur
Dia1:	Sur
Dia2:	Myet

Person:	nSúr
People:	ànSúr
Language:	kìSúr
Root:	Súr

Sur–Myet, also known as kuSur (Nsur), Tapshin, or Myet, is a minor Plateau language of Bauchi and Plateau states, Nigeria. There are two closely related dialects, Súr and Myet.

There are about 16,000 speakers of Sur–Myet.^[1] Sur speakers are surrounded by Ngas speakers, who refer to the Sur as Dishili.^[2] Nevertheless, Sur is a vital language still being passed onto children, and is not immediately endangered.^[3]

Geographical distribution

Sur is spoken in the following villages.^[4]

• Kancak
• Targal
• Kantem
• Shishir
• Gyasham Sakiya
• Kalep
• Mashekarah
• Bussa
• Kocten Angwan Gyad
• Shikanyan
• Bakin Kogi Pwai
• Bada Koshi
• Nasarawa Pwai
• B. Kogi Tapshin (Tapshin village is also known as Ngotuk)

Myet is spoken in the following villages.^[4]

• Myet
• Gat Myet
• Dasham
• Dasham Yelwa
• Pukdi
• Yimi
• Nkandim

Notes and References

1. Decker, Ken, Yakubu Danladi, Julius Dabet, Benard Abraham, Innocent Jonah. 2021. A Sociolinguistic Profile of the Kusur-Myet (Sur) [tdl] Language of Plateau and Bauchi States, Nigeria. Journal of Language Survey Reports, 2021-023. SIL International.
2. Blench, Roger M. 1998. Recent fieldwork in Nigeria: Report on Horom and Tapshin. Ogmios, 9:10-11.
3. Blench, Roger. 2004. Tarok and related languages of east-central Nigeria.
4. Blench, Roger. 2023. The Sur-Myet (Tapshin) language of Central Nigeria and its affinities. Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.