Boze language

Boze, also rendered Buji, is an East Kainji language of Nigeria belonging to the Shammo cluster. Boze is spoken in a contiguous area BicizÃÂ, directly to the north of Jos city in Plateau State, Nigeria.

Dialects include Boze, Gorong, and Firu.

Distribution

Boze (ɛBoze), also called Buji, is spoken in many villages to the west and northwest of Jos.

Below are village names organized by dialect, with modern names are given in parentheses.

Boze dialect

• BÄ«ntÄ«rí
• Bìsɔ̄ (Rùmáná)
• Bɛ̄hɔ̄lɛ̄
• Gbàndāŋ
• Ɔ̀bɛ̀nɛ̀ àkùrá (Màirágá)
• Ɔ̀pɛ̄ɛ̀gɔ̄
• Ɔ̀tɔ̀ɔ̀tùsÅ« (Rùmfán Gwómnà)
• RÄ«bàmbōzē
• RÄ«dāpɔ̄
• Tìpɔ́ɔ̀ táázà (ādònkòròŋ)
• Tìpɔ́ɔ̀ tādÄ«zì (Kwánà)
• TÅ«Å«mÅ« (Sə́rə́rí)
• ŪgbàrÃÂ
• Ùkúū

Gorong dialect

• Màlēēmpē (Jéjìn Fílí)
• Ɔ̄wɔ̀ɔ̀yɔ̄ɔ̄yɔ̀
• Rɛ̀shɔ́kɔ̄
• Rɛ̀tɛ̄ɛ̄ rÅ«jà (Ùrɛ̀kùn)
• Rɛ̀wɔ̄ɔ̄ (Ràfín Gwázá)
• Úlìndāŋ

Firu dialect

• TÅ«mbàkÄ«rì (Kìrāŋ̄gō)
• Ùkwə̀shì
• Zə̀ə̀lə̀kì (Gìndáu)

Mixed

• ZùùkÅ« (NNPC Depot)

Others

• Ɛ̀fÄ«Ä«rù (Kòòfá)
• ĪcÄ«zā
• Īncā (Táshà)
• Ɔ̀bɛ̀nɛ̀ (Sə́rə́rí)

Phonology

Consonants

• Sounds /b, k, É¡/ may also be both labialized [bÊ·, kÊ·, É¡Ê·] and palatalized [bʲ, kʲ, ɡʲ].
• Labial-velar sounds /kÍ¡p, É¡Í¡b/ may also be heard in free variation with labialized sounds [kÊ·, É¡Ê·].

Vowels

References