The BiuâÂÂMandara or Central Chadic languages of the Afro-Asiatic family are spoken in Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon.
A reconstruction of Proto-Central Chadic has been proposed by Gravina (2014).
Languages
Gravina (2014)
Gravina (2014) classifies Central Chadic as follows, as part of a reconstruction of the proto-language. Letters and numbers in parentheses correspond to branches in previous classifications. The greatest changes are breaking up and reassigning the languages of the old Mafa branch (A.5) and Mandage (Kotoko) branch (B.1).
- Central Chadic
- South
- South
- Bata (A.8)
- Bata Proper: Bacama, Bata, Fali, Gude, Gudu, Holma (â ), Jimi, Ngwaba (from A.1 Tera), Nzanyi, Sharwa
- Tsuvan: Tsuvan, Zizilivakan
- Daba (A.7)
- Daba Proper: Daba, Mazagway Hidi
- Mina: Mina, Mbudum
- Buwal: Buwal, Gavar
- Mafa (= South A.5 Mafa (d)): Mafa, Mefele, Cuvok
- Tera (A.1):
- East Tera: Boga, Ga'anda, Hwana
- (West Tera): Jara, Tera
- Sukur (A.6)
- Hurza
- Hurza (from A.5 Mafa): Vame, Mbuko
- North
- MargiâÂÂMandaraâÂÂMofu
- Margi (A.2)
- Bura: Bura, Cibak, Putai, Nggwahyi
- Margi Proper: Kilba, Margi South, Margi
- Mandara (A.4):
- Wandala: Mandara (Malgwa), Glavda
- Dghwede: Cineni, Dghwede, Guduf, Gava, Gvoko
- Podoko: Podoko, Matal (from A.5 Mafa)
- Mofu (part of South A.5 Mafa)
- Tokombere: Ouldeme, Mada, Muyang, Molokwo
- Meri: Zulgo, Gemzek, Merey, Dugwor
- Mofu Proper: Mofu North, Mofu-Gudur
- Maroua
- Maroua (part of South A.5 Mafa (c)): Giziga North, Giziga South, Mbazla
- Lamang
- Lamang (West A.4 Wandala): Lamang, Hdi, Mabas
- Higi
- Higi (A.3): Bana, Hya, PsikyÃÂ, Kamwe, Kirya-Konzel
- Musgum â North Kotoko
- Kotoko Island: Buduma
- Kotoko North: Mpade, AfaÃÂÃÂ, Malgbe, Maltam
- Musgum (B.2): Musgum, Mbara, Muskum (â )
- Kotoko Centre
- Kotoko Centre: Lagwan, Mser
- Kotoko South
- Kotoko South: Zina, Mazera
- Gidar
Jilbe was not classified, as no sources were available.
Blench (2006)
The branches of BiuâÂÂMandara traditionally go by either names or letters and numbers in an outline format. Blench (2006) organizes them as follows:
- BiuâÂÂMandara
- Tera (A.1): Tera, Pidlimdi (Hinna), Jara, Ga'anda, Gabin, Boga, Ngwaba, Hwana
- BuraâÂÂHigi
- Bura (A.2): Bura-Pabir (Bura), Cibak (Kyibaku), Nggwahyi, Huba (Kilba), Putai (Marghi West), Marghi Central (Margi, Margi Babal), Marghi South
- ? Kofa
- Higi (A.3): KamwÃÂ (PsikyÃÂ, Higi), Bana, Hya, ? Kirya-KonzÃÂl
- WandalaâÂÂMafa
- Wandala (Mandara) (A.4)
- East: Wandala (Mura, Mandara, Malgwa), Glavda (GÃÂlvaxdaxa)
- ParÃÂkwa (Podoko)
- West: GÃÂvoko, Guduf-Gava (Cineni), DghweÃÂe, Hdi (XÃÂdi, Hedi, Tur), Lamang, Woga, Vemgo, Mabas
- Sukur (Sakwun, A.6)
- Mafa (A.5)
- Northeast Mafa: Vame (PÃÂlasla), Mbuko, Gaduwa
- Matal (Muktele)
- South Mafa
- (a) Wuzlam (Ouldémé), Muyang, MaÃÂa, MÃÂlokwo
- (b) ZÃÂlgwa-Minew, Gemzek, ÃÂugwor, Mikere, Merey
- (c) North Giziga, South Giziga, North Mofu, Mofu-Gudur (South Mofu), Baldemu (Mbazlam)
- (d) Cuvok, Mafa, Mefele, Shügule
- Daba (A.7)
- North Daba: Buwal (Gadala), Gavar (Kortchi)
- South Daba: Mina (Besleri, Hina), Daba (Mazagway), MbÃÂdam
- Bata (Gbwata) (A.8): Bacama, Bata (Gbwata), Sharwa, Tsuvan, Gude, Fali of Mubi, Zizilivakan (Ulan MazhilvÃÂn, Fali of Jilbu), Jimi (JimjimÃÂn), Gudu, Holma (â ), Nzanyi
- Mandage (Kotoko) (B.1)
- South Mandage: MsÃÂr (Kousseri), Lagwan (Logone)
- ? Jilbe
- North Mandage: AfaÃÂÃÂ, Maslam, Malgbe (Gulfey), MpadÃÂ
- Buduma (Yedina)
- EastâÂÂCentral
- Gidar (KaÃÂa)
- Munjuk (B.2): Mbara, Muskum (Muzuk) (â ), Mpus, Beege (Jafga), Vulum (Mulwi)
- Mida'a (< B.1): Jina, MajÃÂra
Newman (1977)
Central Chadic classification per Newman (1977):
Names and locations (Nigeria)
Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations (in Nigeria only) from Blench (2019).
South
North
Numerals
Comparison of numerals in individual languages:
Proto Language
The phonology of Proto-Central Chadic consists of 31 consonants, three vowels and a morpheme-level palatalization prosody. The 3 vowel phonemes are /a/, /i/ and /è/. The consonants are as follows:
Notes
References