Warji language

{{Short description|Chadic language spoken in Nigeria}} {{Infobox language |name=Warji |altname=Sirzakwai |states=Nigeria |region=Bauchi State |speakers={{sigfig|75000|2}} |date=2022 |ref=e27 |script=Latin |familycolor=Afro-Asiatic |fam2=Chadic |fam3=West Chadic |fam4=Bade–Warji |fam5=Warji languages (B.2) |iso3=wji |glotto=warj1253 |glottorefname=Warji }}

'''Warji''' (Warjawa) or '''Sirzakwai''' is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Speakers are shifting to Hausa.<ref name=e27/>

==Distribution== Warji is spoken in:<ref name="Sirzakwai"/>

*Ganjuwa district, Darazo LGA, Bauchi State *Warji district, Ningi LGA, Bauchi State *Birnin Kudu LGA, Jigawa State

==Morphology== Within the Bade–Warji languages, Warji has the most complex nominal plural marking system.<ref>Blench, Roger. 2021. ''[https://www.academia.edu/46654471/The_erosion_of_number_marking_in_West_Chadic The erosion of number marking in West Chadic Roger Blench]''. WOCAL, Leiden.</ref> Plurals are marked by the following suffixes.<ref name="Sirzakwai">Blench, Roger ''[http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Afroasiatic/Chadic/West/Warji/Sirzakwai%20dictionary.pdf Wordlist of the Sirzakwai (Warji) language with Hausa and English equivalents]''.</ref>

*-''tsǝ'' *-''sA'' (-''sǝ'', -''sa'') *-''Aŋsǝ'' (-''ǝŋsǝ'', -''aŋsǝ'') *-''(aŋ)ʃi'' (-''shi'', -''aŋshi''; stem-final -''i'' is assimilated)

These may be all allomorphs of a single suffix, with optional inserted nasals.

Suppletive nominal plurals are:<ref name="Sirzakwai"/>

{| class="wikitable" ! English !! singular !! plural |- | child || ŋaa || mǝru |- | girl || ŋaagǝɗ || mǝrǝgudi |- | woman || gǝɗ || guɗi |- | man || mumwan || mumwanci |- | human being || warji || zarsǝ |}

== Notes == {{Reflist}}

Category:Languages of Nigeria Category:West Chadic languages