Jarawa language (Nigeria)

{{Short description|Bantu language spoken in Nigeria}} {{distinguish|Jarawa language (Andaman Islands)|Jarawara language}} {{Infobox language |name=Jarawa |region=northern Nigeria, near Bauchi |speakers=250,000 (dialects with ISO codes) |date=2006–2011 |ref=e18 |familycolor=Niger-Congo |fam2=Atlantic–Congo |fam3=Volta-Congo |fam4=Benue–Congo |fam5=Bantoid |fam6=Southern Bantoid |fam7=Jarawan |fam8=Nigerian Jarawan |dia1=Zhár (Bankal) |dia2=Zugur (Duguri) |dia3=Gwak (Gingwak) |dia4=Ndaŋshi |dia5=Dòòrì |dia6=Mbat (Bada) |dia7=Mùùn |dia8=Kantana |dia9=Dàmùl |lc1=jjr|ld1=Zhár (Bankal) |lc4=jgk|ld4=Gwak (Gingwak) |lc2=dbm|ld2=Zugur (Duguri) |lc3=bau|ld3=Mbat (Bada) |glotto=jara1263 |glottorefname=Jarawa (Nigeria) }}

'''Jarawa''' (also known as Jhar, or in {{langx|ha|Jaranci}}) is the most populous of the Jarawan languages of northern Nigeria. It is a dialect cluster consisting of many varieties.

== Phonology == {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+Consonants in the Mbat dialect<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Green |first=Christopher R. |title=Harmony and disharmony in Mbat (Jarawan Bantu) verbs |year=2020 |journal=Linguistique et Langues Africaines |volume=6 |issue= |pages=43–72 |doi=10.4000/lla.289 |doi-access=free}}</ref> ! colspan="2" | !Labial !Alveolar !Palatal !Velar !Glottal |- ! rowspan="3" |Plosive !voiceless |{{IPA link|p}} |{{IPA link|t}} | |{{IPA link|k}} |({{IPA link|ʔ}}) |- !voiced |{{IPA link|b}} |{{IPA link|d}} | |{{IPA link|ɡ}} | |- !implosive |{{IPA link|ɓ}} |{{IPA link|ɗ}} | | | |- ! rowspan="2" |Affricate !voiceless | | | |{{IPA link|k͡x}} | |- !voiced | | |{{IPA link|d͡ʒ}} |{{IPA link|ɡ͡ɣ}} | |- ! rowspan="2" |Fricative !voiceless |{{IPA link|f}} |{{IPA link|s}} |{{IPA link|ʃ}} |({{IPA link|x}}) | |- !voiced |({{IPA link|β}}) |{{IPA link|z}} | |({{IPA link|ɣ}}) | |- ! colspan="2" |Nasal |{{IPA link|m}} |{{IPA link|n}} |{{IPA link|ɲ}} |{{IPA link|ŋ}} | |- ! colspan="2" |Rhotic | |{{IPA link|r}} | | | |- ! colspan="2" |Approximant |{{IPA link|w}} |{{IPA link|l}} |{{IPA link|j}} | | |}

* /β/ only appears as a marginal phoneme. * [ʔ] only appears in non-word-initial syllables. * Sounds /n, t, l, r/ can be heard as palatal or retroflex [ɲ, ʈ, ɭ, ɽ] in word-final position. /k/ can also be heard as uvular [q] in the same position, and may also alternate with [ʁ] or [ɢ].

* Sounds /k͡x, ɡ͡ɣ/ can be heard as fricatives [x, ɣ] or [χ, ʁ] in intervocalic position.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+Vowels in the Mbat dialect<ref name=":0" /> ! !Front !Central !Back |- !Close |{{IPA link|i}} | |{{IPA link|u}} |- !Near-close |{{IPA link|ɪ}} | |{{IPA link|ʊ}} |- !Mid |({{IPA link|ɛ}}) |{{IPA link|ə}} |({{IPA link|ɔ}}) |- !Open | |{{IPA link|a}} | |}

* Sounds /ɛ, ɔ/ only appear after glides.

==Dialects== Jarawa dialects are: * Zhár (Bankal) * Zugur (Duguri) * Gwak (Gingwak) * Ndaŋshi * Dòòrì * Mbat (Bada) * Mùùn * Kantana * Dàmùl Kantana may be a distinct language.

Blench (2019) lists these varieties as dialects of Jar (Jarawa).<ref name="BlenchAtlas4">{{Cite book|title=An Atlas of Nigerian Languages|last=Blench|first=Roger|publisher=Kay Williamson Educational Foundation|year=2019|edition=4th|location=Cambridge}}</ref>

*Zhar *Ligri *Kantana *Bobar (?) *Gwak (Gingwak) *Dõõri *Mbat *Mbat-Galamkya

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{Languages of Nigeria}} {{Mbam languages}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Jarawa Language (Nigeria)}} Category:Jarawan languages Category:Languages of Nigeria