Mambiloid languages
Encyclopedia
The dozen Mambiloid languages are a branch of Bantoid languages
spoken by the Mambila
and related people in Nigeria and Cameroon.
The extinct Yeni language
was apparently Mambiloid.
Ethnologue also lists Njerep, which most likely lies somewhere in the Mambila–Kamkam branch.
Bantoid languages
In the classification of African languages, Bantoid is a branch of the Benue–Congo subfamily of the Niger–Congo phylum. The term 'Bantoid' was first used by Krause in 1895 for languages that showed resemblances in vocabulary to Bantu...
spoken by the Mambila
Mambila
The Mambila or Mambilla people of Nigeria and Cameroon live on the Mambilla plateau and on the Tikar Plain in Cameroon as well as in several small villages further north towards the town of Banyo. The preferred ethnonym is Mambila in Cameroon and Mambilla in Nigeria...
and related people in Nigeria and Cameroon.
The extinct Yeni language
Yeni language
The Yeni language is an extinct language of Cameroon, formerly spoken around Djeni Mountain in the Nyalang area. All that remains of the language, apparently, is a song remembered by some Sandani speakers...
was apparently Mambiloid.
Languages
The following classification follows Blench (2011). Languages with (?) are not listed in that source, but close to other languages according to Ethnologue. Ndoro–Fam may be a separate branch of Mambiloid–Dakoid.- Ndoro–Fam: Ndoola (Ndoro), FamFam languageFam is a Bantoid language of Nigeria, with a couple thousand speakers in Cameroon. It is either among or related to the Mambiloid languages.-References:* Blench, Roger, 2011. . Bantu IV, Humboldt University, Berlin....
- Mambiloid proper
- Suga (Nizaa)
- Mambila–Konja
- Konja: KwanjaKwanja languageKwanja is a Mambiloid language of Cameroon....
, ?Twendi - Mambila–Vute
- Mambila–Kamkam
- Magu–Kamkam–Kila: Mbongno, Mvanip (Mvano), ?SomyevSomyev languageSomyev , also known as Kila, is a nearly extinct Mambiloid language of Nigeria, spoken by a caste of blacksmiths that live among the Mambila....
, ?Ndunda - MambilaMambila languageMambila is a Bantoid dialect chain stretching across Nigeria and Cameroon. Notable dialects are Barup, Bang, Dorofi, Gembu, Hainari, Kabri, Mayo Ndaga, Mbamnga, Tamien, Warwar ; Ju Ba, Sunu Torbi , Ju Naare , Langa...
- Magu–Kamkam–Kila: Mbongno, Mvanip (Mvano), ?Somyev
- Tep–Vute
- TepTep languageTep is a Mambiloid language of Nigeria. Ethnologue considers it a dialect of Mambila, as speakers identify as Mambila, but it is a distinct language.-References:* Blench, Roger, 2011. . Bantu IV, Humboldt University, Berlin....
- Vute: VuteVute languageVute is a Mambiloid language of Cameroon, with a thousand speakers in Nigeria....
, WawaWawa languageWawa is a Mambiloid language spoken in a small region of Cameroon and in an adjoining bit of Nigeria. It is spoken by about 3000 people in three main dialects.All speakers are bilingual, often in Fulfulde.-External Link:**...
- Tep
- Mambila–Kamkam
- Konja: Kwanja
Ethnologue also lists Njerep, which most likely lies somewhere in the Mambila–Kamkam branch.
External links
- Marieke Martin, 2011. 'The Erosion of Noun Classes in Mambiloid'