Benue–Congo (sometimes called East Benue–Congo ) is a major branch of the Volta-Congo languages which covers most of Sub-Saharan Africa .
15-524: Central Nigerian (or Platoid) contains the Plateau , Jukunoid and Kainji families, and Bantoid–Cross combines the Bantoid and Cross River groups. Bantoid is only a collective term for every subfamily of Bantoid–Cross except Cross River, and this is no longer seen as forming a valid branch, however one of the subfamilies, Southern Bantoid, is still considered valid. It is Southern Bantoid which contains
30-522: A tentative group of Benue–Congo languages spoken by 15 million people on the Jos Plateau , Southern Kaduna , Nasarawa State and in adjacent areas in central Nigeria . Berom and Eggon have the most speakers. Most Plateau languages are threatened and have around 2,000-10,000 speakers. Defining features of the Plateau family have only been published in manuscript form (Blench 2008). Many of
45-456: A valid group, though no demonstration of this has been made in print. The branches of the Benue–Congo family are thought to be as follows: Ukaan is also related to Benue–Congo; Roger Blench suspects it might be either the most divergent (East) Benue–Congo language or the closest relative to Benue–Congo. Fali of Baissa and Tita are also Benue–Congo but are otherwise unclassified. Below
60-554: Is a list of major Benue–Congo branches and their primary locations (centres of diversity) within Nigeria based on Blench (2019). Sample basic vocabulary for reconstructed proto-languages of different Benue-Congo branches: Plateau languages The forty or so Plateau languages are a tentative group of Benue–Congo languages spoken by 15 million people on the Jos Plateau , Southern Kaduna , Nasarawa State and in adjacent areas in central Nigeria . Berom and Eggon have
75-657: Is a presumed Plateau language once spoken in Nince Village, Kaduna State, but its place within the Plateau branch cannot be ascertained due to the lack of linguistic data. In 2005, there was only one speaker of Nisam. Proto-Plateau nominal prefixes: Only some of the languages have nominal classes, as the Bantu languages have, where in others these have eroded. In many Plateau languages, many CV- prefixes have become fossilised, replaced by V- prefixes, or disappeared altogether. The large numbers of consonants in many languages
90-480: Is due to the erosion of noun-class prefixes. In Plateau languages, adjectives and possessive forms generally follow the noun. Some Proto-Plateau quasi-reconstructions proposed by Roger Blench (2008) are: Comparison of numerals in individual languages: [REDACTED] This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 3.0 license. Nisam language The forty or so Plateau languages are
105-414: Is more internally diverse than all of West Chadic A3 . Little work has been done on the Plateau languages, and the results to date are tentative. Blench (2018:112) gives the following classification of the Plateau languages. The following classification is taken from Blench (2008). Most of the branches are discrete constituents, though Central is a residual grouping and there are doubts about some of
120-462: Is sometimes called "West Benue–Congo", but it does not form a united branch with Benue–Congo. When Benue–Congo was first proposed by Joseph Greenberg (1963), it included Volta–Niger (as West Benue–Congo); the boundary between Volta–Niger and Kwa has been repeatedly debated. Blench (2012) states that if Benue–Congo is taken to be "the noun-class languages east and north of the Niger", it is likely to be
135-589: The Yukubenic languages . Blench, however, places Yukubenic in the Jukunoid family , following Shimizu (1980). Classification of Plateau languages by Gerhardt (1983), based on Maddieson (1972): Note: Plateau 1 languages, consisting of Plateau 1a and 1b, are now classified separately as Kainji languages . List of Plateau languages given by Blench (2018): Nisam is a presumed Plateau language once spoken in Nince Village, Kaduna State, but its place within
150-637: The Bantu languages, which are spoken across most of Sub-Saharan Africa. This makes Benue–Congo one of the largest subdivisions of the Niger–Congo language family, both in number of languages, of which Ethnologue counts 976 (2017), and in speakers, numbering perhaps 350 million. Benue–Congo also includes a few minor isolates in the Nigeria–Cameroon region, but their exact relationship is uncertain. The neighbouring Volta–Niger branch of Nigeria and Benin
165-447: The Plateau branch cannot be ascertained due to the lack of linguistic data. In 2005, there was only one speaker of Nisam. Proto-Plateau nominal prefixes: Only some of the languages have nominal classes, as the Bantu languages have, where in others these have eroded. In many Plateau languages, many CV- prefixes have become fossilised, replaced by V- prefixes, or disappeared altogether. The large numbers of consonants in many languages
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#1732772006538180-477: The Plateau languages, and the results to date are tentative. Blench (2018:112) gives the following classification of the Plateau languages. The following classification is taken from Blench (2008). Most of the branches are discrete constituents, though Central is a residual grouping and there are doubts about some of the purported Ninzic languages . Plateau languages as a whole share a number of isoglosses, as do all branches apart from Tarokoid . Glottolog adds
195-438: The languages have highly elaborate phonology systems that make comparison with poor data difficult. Below is a list of major Plateau branches and their primary locations (centres of diversity) based on Blench (2019). The Plateau languages are highly typologically and lexically diverse. For instance, Roger Blench (2022) notes that Beromic is more internally diverse than all of West Chadic A3 . Little work has been done on
210-554: The most speakers. Most Plateau languages are threatened and have around 2,000-10,000 speakers. Defining features of the Plateau family have only been published in manuscript form (Blench 2008). Many of the languages have highly elaborate phonology systems that make comparison with poor data difficult. Below is a list of major Plateau branches and their primary locations (centres of diversity) based on Blench (2019). The Plateau languages are highly typologically and lexically diverse. For instance, Roger Blench (2022) notes that Beromic
225-533: The purported Ninzic languages . Plateau languages as a whole share a number of isoglosses, as do all branches apart from Tarokoid . Glottolog adds the Yukubenic languages . Blench, however, places Yukubenic in the Jukunoid family , following Shimizu (1980). Classification of Plateau languages by Gerhardt (1983), based on Maddieson (1972): Note: Plateau 1 languages, consisting of Plateau 1a and 1b, are now classified separately as Kainji languages . List of Plateau languages given by Blench (2018): Nisam
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