The four scattered and poorly attested Alumic languages form a branch of the Plateau languages of central Nigeria.
Classification
The following classification is taken from Blench (2008). The languages are not closely related and are morphologically quite diverse due to different contact situations; given the poor state of their description, their relationship is provisional.
Ethnologue scatters these languages throughout Plateau: Hasha and Sambe with Eggon (Southern branch), and Alumu–Tesu and Toro as two independent branches.
Blench (2019) also includes Nigbo (extinct).[1]
Names and locations
Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).[1]
| Language |
Cluster |
Alternate spellings |
Own name for language |
Endonym(s) |
Other names (location-based) |
Speakers |
Location(s)
|
| Akpondu (extinct) |
|
|
Akpondu |
|
|
1 (2005). The last speaker was only a remember and can only recall fragmentary vocabulary |
Plateau State
|
| Sambe |
|
|
Sambe |
Sambe |
|
2 (2005) |
Kaduna State
|
| Alumu-Tәsu cluster |
Alumu-Tәsu |
Arum–Chessu |
|
|
|
|
Nasarawa State, Akwanga LGA
|
| Alumu |
Alumu-Tәsu |
Arum |
Alumu |
|
|
Seven villages. ca. 5000 (Blench 1999) |
|
| Tәsu |
Alumu-Tәsu |
Chessu |
|
|
|
Two villages. ca. 1000 (Blench 1999) |
|
| Hasha |
|
Iyashi, Yashi |
|
|
|
400 (SIL); 3000 (Blench est. 1999) |
Nasarawa State, Akwanga LGA
|
| Toro |
|
|
|
Tɔrɔ |
Turkwam |
6,000 (1973 SIL). 2000 (Blench 1999). The Toro people live in one large village, Turkwam, some two km. southeast of Kanja on the Wamba-Fadan Karshi road |
Nasarawa State, Akwanga LGA
|
| Nigbo (extinct) |
|
|
|
|
|
near Agameti on the Fadan Karshi-Wamba road. |
|
References
- ^ a b Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
External links
