Mumuye language

Mumuye is by far the most populous of the Adamawa languages. It is spoken in northeastern Nigeria. It is classified in the LekoÃ¢ÂÂNimbari branch of Savanna languages, as Adamawa is no longer considered a valid family. According to Ethnologue, there are multiple dialects: Zinna, Rang (Lamma), Dong, Yoro, Lankaviri, Gola (Bajama), Gongla, Kasaa, Saawa, Jalingo, Nyaaja, Jeng, Gnoore, Yaa, Sagbee, Shaari, Kugong, Mang, Kwaji, Meeka, Yakoko.

Phonology

The Mumuye dialect of the town of Zing has the following inventory:

Consonants

[ÃÂÃÂ¡m] is recorded in the post-nasal off-glide of labial-velar plosives.
A glottal stop [ÃÂ] can be heard within a word-initial or word-final vowel or within syllabic nasals.
/n/ is heard as a velar [ÃÂ] when in the following positions; word-final, before or after a consonant, or in isolation.
The palatal /ÃÂ²/ can have a post-nasal allophone of [j ÃÂ].
Stops /p, b/ may also occur as slightly aspirated [pÃÂ°, bÃÂ±].

/kÃÂ¡p/ can also be heard as a labialized velar stop [kÃÂ·] as a free variant.

/w ÃÂ/ have allophones as [ÃÂ· ÃÂÃÂ, ÃÂÃÂ· ÃÂ, ÃÂ·ÃÂÃÂ] when in free variation.

Before /u/, /r/ is pre-labialized as [ÃÂ·r].

Vowels

[ÃÂ] occurs as an allophone of /i/.
A lengthened version of /ÃÂÃÂ/ can sound more towards close to a close-mid sound [e].

Dialects

Mumuye dialects and their locations as classified and listed by Shimizu (1979):

Mumuye proper
North-East Mumuye
Zing group
Gnoore, Jeng
Zing, Mang
Kwaji, Meeka
Yaa
South-West Mumuye
Monkin group
Kugong, Shaari
Sagbee
Kpugbong group
Kasaa, YÃÂrÃÂ
Lankaviri, Saawa, Nyaaja, Jaalingo

Zing group

The Zing, or Northeast, group consists of 7 dialects.

GnoorÃÂ¨ is spoken in villages up to 4 km from Jeleng. The main settlement is Gomla (Gongla), also known as Gnoore in the local dialect. Gnoore-speaking settlements are Jeleng, Yulong, KoÃÂ³dÃÂ¨lÃÂ¨ÃÂ, Kpong, Kokoli, YugumaÃÂ, KpmaapuÃÂ, LaanÃÂ poÃÂ, and DoÃÂ³zolung.

Jeng is spoken in Dingding, Dondon gooriÃÂ, Kpmapo (Mapo), and Kwosa (Kwasa) villages, along the Sangudu and Dingding Rivers, both of which are tributaries of the Belwa River.

ZÃÂ¬ng is spoken in the town of Zing (formerly Zinna) and the settlements of TunÃÂ po, PÃÂ©nyera, Dangbe (Dangberin), Bara, and others.

MÃÂ¡ng is spoken in the MÃÂ¡ng (MÃÂ¡nÃÂ¡ / MÃÂ¡nÃÂ¡ng) village group, which consists of the 9 villages of Kurung, Dang, YÃÂ©zÃÂ²ngko, LaÃÂ¡kpÃÂ¡ÃÂ¡re, YÃÂ©sÃÂ¨nti, DÃÂ³gang, Goba, ShÃÂ³ngkobo, and DongkÃÂ²bi.

KwÃÂ ji is spoken in KwÃÂ ji BubÃÂºle, KwÃÂ ji, and MashiiteÃÂ, which are villages in Kwaji District.

MeekÃÂ (Mika, Meika) is spoken in the settlements of Meeka, Sabon Garin Meeka, KozÃÂ²n (Kozang), JassÃÂ²ÃÂ²ri (Jasori), Laya (Leya), Korong (Koron), ZangbangÃÂ, NÃÂ npanÃÂ, and BÃÂ²ÃÂ²liÃÂ. It is spoken between the Zing-Jalingo road to the northeast and the Kunini River to the southwest.

YÃÂ ÃÂ (YÃÂ ÃÂ koko) is spoken in the settlements of Yaakoko, Doopa (Dopa), KÃÂ³dnÃÂ ÃÂ ri (Kondari), Yukwa, and Maazan. It is spoken along the Monkin River south of Zing.

Monkin group

The Monkin group is spoken to the south of the Zing group. Shimizu (1979) lists 3 dialects.

KÃÂºgong is spoken in the settlements of Kugong NasaraawÃÂ² (GurujÃÂ¨), DÃÂ ÃÂ fa, LakÃÂ¹naÃÂ, and DooroÃÂ, which are located around the peaks of Kugong and Gbole.

Shaari is spoken in the settlements of DanggÃÂ²ng, BÃÂ²ÃÂ²zi, DoÃÂ³bura, MÃÂ ng, DÃÂ¨bÃÂ¡ngbu, and DÃÂ¡ngsheeri, which are located to the south of Yukwa on the Monkin-Lama road.

SÃÂ gbÃÂ©ÃÂ¨ (MÃÂ²nkÃÂn) is spoken in the settlements of SÃÂ gbÃÂ©ÃÂ¨, Gangkula, DaraaraÃÂ, and GboleÃÂ. Monkin town is located to the northwest of the SÃÂ gbÃÂ©ÃÂ¨-speaking area.

Kpugbong group

The Kpugbong group is spoken in the southwest.

KÃÂ saÃÂ is spoken in the settlements of KÃÂ saÃÂ , Lambo, Ngba, Kwazanci, Tassa, Donkun, and Kodin.

LÃÂ nkÃÂ viri is spoken in LÃÂ nkÃÂ viri.

SaawÃÂ is spoken in and around SaawÃÂ (also known as KpÃÂ ntisaawÃÂ or Pantisaawa).

YÃÂrÃÂ is spoken in YÃÂrÃÂ settlement. It is claimed to be the original village from which all Mumuye people originate from, although hills isolate it geographically from the other Mumuye locations.

NyaajÃÂ is spoken between the Saawa and Kasaa dialect areas.

JÃÂ ÃÂ lingÃÂ² is spoken in and around Jalingo town.