Beromic | |
Also Known As: | Plateau II |
Region: | Nigeria |
Familycolor: | Niger-Congo |
Fam2: | Atlantic–Congo |
Fam3: | Benue–Congo |
Fam4: | Plateau |
Glotto: | iten1244 |
Glottorefname: | Beromic |
The four Beromic languages are a branch of the Plateau languages spoken in central Nigeria by approximately 1 million people.
The following classification is taken from Blench (2008).
Blench (2019) also includes Nincut.
Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).[1]
Language | Cluster | Dialects | Alternate spellings | Own name for language | Endonym(s) | Other names (location-based) | Other names for language | Exonym(s) | Speakers | Location(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ten, Etien | sg Àtên, pl. Nìtèn | Ganawuri, Jal | 6,710 (1963 Census): est. 40,000 (Kjenstad 1988); est. 40,000 (Blench 2003) | Plateau State, Barkin Ladi LGA; Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA | |||||||
Gyel–Kuru–Vwang; Fan–Foron–Heikpang; Bachit–Gashish; Du–Ropp–Rim–Riyom; Hoss (?). Nincut is treated as a separate language. | Birom, Berum | Cèn Bèrom | sg. Wòrom, pl. Berom, Birom (Du dialect) | Afango, Akuut, Baho, Gbang, Kibbo, Kibo, Kibbun, Kibyen, Sine | Shosho, Shaushau (not recommended) | 54,500 (HDG), 200,000 (1985 SIL) | Plateau State, Jos and Barkin Ladi LGAs; Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA | ||||
Chara, Nfachara, Fakara, Pakara, Fachara, Terea, Teria, Terri, Tariya | 735 (1936 HDG); 5000 (Blench est. 2012). Nine villages | Plateau State, Bassa LGA | |||||||||
Shall–Zwall cluster | Shall–Zwall | Bauchi State, Dass LGA | |||||||||
Shall–Zwall | |||||||||||
Shall–Zwall | |||||||||||
Aboro | 8 villages (5000 ? Blench 2003 est.) | Kaduna State, ?? LGA. ca. 7 km. north of Fadan Karshe |
Sample basic vocabulary of Beromic languages from Blench (2006):[2]
Gloss | Berom F. | Berom R. | Tahos | Zwall | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
eye | rēyīʃ | byènêŋ ryis | ryis | ris | ìrisé̱ | iʃe | iʃi | ||
eyes | bāyīʃ | byénêŋ bayis | be-yis | anyis | ìrwisé̱ | ||||
nose | wol | wol | wɔl | i-ŋwul | ìlol | munon | mun | ||
noses | bawol | bawol | be-wɔl | a-ŋwul | ìlyol | ||||
tongue | lɛ̄m | lem | lɛm | lɛm | ìle̱m | lumo | |||
tongues | balɛ̄m | balem | lɛlɛm | a-lɛm | ìlywe̱m | ||||
ear | fwóŋ | twoŋ | cyoŋ | ki-cuŋ | ìtsóró | yan | yan | ||
ears | bētòŋ | bètòŋ | be-toŋ | a-tuŋ | ìtórò | ||||
mouth | nú | nu | nu | ku-nu | è̱nú | nun | kunun | ||
mouths | nenu | nènù | ni-nu | a-nu | nìnù | ||||
tooth | hywín | hwin | kwin | windi | ìdzìnè̱ | yinin | |||
teeth | ngyìn | yìn | vin | anyindi | ìdziné̱ | ||||
blood | nèmí | mmǐ; mmì (pl.) | nimi | mi | nnyi | bari | baren | ||
bone | kùp | kùp | kup | vis | ìkub | kup | |||
bones | bekup | bekùp | be-kup | agis | ìkpub | ||||
eat | re | re | re | reke+ | ri | ||||
eat (pl.) | reres | rere | re | ||||||
tree | tin, retin cɔ̀gɔ̄t | cɔgɔt | cɔ̀gɔt | tsɔ́gɔt | fɔn | èhôn | kun | kun | |
trees | batin cɔgɔ́t | cɔ́gɔt | cɔgɔ́t | bítsɔ́gɔ́t | akɔn | nìhòn | |||
water | nshí | nèshí | ninci | mal | nnè̱n | jinen | jini |