| Yiwom | |
| Nativename: | Gerka |
| Pronunciation: | pronounced as /[jʷom]/ |
| States: | Nigeria |
| Region: | Plateau State |
| Date: | 2000 |
| Ref: | e18 |
| Familycolor: | Afro-Asiatic |
| Fam2: | Chadic |
| Fam3: | West Chadic |
| Fam4: | Bole–Angas |
| Iso3: | gek |
| Glotto: | yiwo1237 |
| Glottorefname: | Yiwom |
Yiwom (Ywom), also known as Gerka or Gerkawa by the Hausa, is a Chadic (Afro-Asiatic) language spoken in Plateau State, Nigeria.
Ywom was formerly much more widespread, with Ywom toponyms found in southern Tarok-speaking areas.[1] Roger Blench (2013)[2] reports that Ywom is spoken in Hyel Ywom town and nearby hamlets. Many Ywom speak Jukun and Tarok as additional languages.[2] Due to influence from Plateau languages, Ywom has various phonological features that are considered unusual for a West Chadic language, such as labiovelar consonants.[1]
Tones are at least high and low. Mid tone may be allophonic. Rising and falling tones are probably restricted to sequences.
Vowels are pronounced as //i e a ɨ ə u o//. There may also be an ?pronounced as //ɯ//. Three vowels are long, pronounced as //aa ee ɨɨ//.
Consonants are:
| ɓ | ɗ | |||||||||
| p b | t d | c ɟ | k ɡ | kp ɡb | ɢ | ʔ | ||||
| f v | θ | s z | ʃ ʒ | ʃʲ | ɣ | h | ||||
| m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |||||||
| ʙ̪ | l r | |||||||||
| j | w |
Syllable-initial consonant clusters are Cw, Cj, Cr and Cl. NC also occurs; the N takes its own tone.