Jju language

Not to be confused with Jeju language.
Jju
Kaje
Diryem Jju
Native toNigeria
RegionKaduna State
Native speakers
600,000 (2020)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3kaj
Glottologjjuu1238
Jju[2]
PeopleBa̠jju
LanguageJju
CountryKa̠jju

Jju (Tyap: Jhyuo; Hausa: Kaje, Kache) is the native language of the Bajju people of Kaduna State in central Nigeria. As of 1988, there were approximately 300,000 speakers.[1] Jju is one of the Southern Kaduna languages.[1][3] Although usually listed separately from the Tyap cluster, Jju's separation, according to Blench R.M. (2018), seems to be increasingly ethnic rather than a linguistic reality.[4]

Distribution

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Jju is spoken as a first language by the Bajju people in Zangon Kataf, Jema'a, Kachia, Kaura and Kaduna South Local Government Areas of Kaduna state. It is also spoken in neighbouring Atyap, Fantswam, Agworok, Ham, Adara, and other kin communities as a second or third language.[citation needed]

Phonology

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Vowels

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Vowels[5]
Front Central Back
Close i ɨ u
Mid e ə o
Open a

A few words also include the long vowels /aː/ and /oː/.[5]

Consonants

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Consonants[6]
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Labial–velar
Nasal plain m n ŋ
tense mː nː ŋː
Stop plain p b t d k ɡ k͡p ɡ͡b
tense pː bː tː dː kː ɡː
Affricate plain p͡f b͡v t͡s d͡z t͡ʃ d͡ʒ
tense p͡fː b͡vː t͡sː d͡zː t͡ʃː d͡ʒː
Fricative plain f s ʃ
tense fː sː ʃː
Rhotic tap ɾ
tense ɾː
trill r
Approximant labial ʍ w ɥ̊ ɥ
lab. tense ʍː wː ɥ̊ː ɥː
central j̊ j
tense jː
  • There is a tenseness distinction, which McKinney (1990) calls a fortis-lenis distinction. McKinney analyzes the fortis consonants as longer than lenis consonants.[5]
  • There is allophonic palatalization before front vowels and allophonic labialization before rounded vowels.[6]
  • Most consonants have a three-way contrast between plain, labialized [ʷ], and palatalized [ʲ].[7]
  • Aspiration [ʰ] may phonetically occur among stops.[8]
  • Tense stops /kː ɡː/ may also be heard as affricates [k͡x, ɡ͡ɣ].[9]

Numerals

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Numeral Jju word
1 A̠yring
2 A̠hwa
3 A̠tat
4 A̠naai
5 A̠pfwon
6 A̠kitat
7 A̠tiyring
8 A̠ninai
9 A̠kumbvuyring
10 Swak
11 Swak bu a̠yring
12 Swak bu a̠hwa
13 Swak bu a̠tat
14 Swak bu a̠naai
15 Swak bu a̠pfwon
16 Swak bu a̠kitat
17 Swak bu a̠tiyring
18 Swak bu a̠ninai
19 Swak bu a̠kumbvuyring
20 [Nswak nh] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |3= (help)
30 Nswak ntat
40 Nswak nnaai
50 Nswak npfwon
60 Nswak a̠kitat
70 Nswak a̠tiyring
80 Nswak a̠ninai
90 Nswak a̠kumbvuyring
100 Cyi
1000 Cyikwop

Vocabulary

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List of vocabulary relating to body parts.[10]

  • zwuoi - nose
  • shog - cheek
  • a̠kpukpa ka̠nu - lip
  • zwuak - throat
  • du̱ryem - tongue
  • pffwa - neck
  • ka̠dyet - chin
  • ka̠hog - chest
  • trang - beard
  • kawiyang - armpit
  • du̱ccu - head
  • a̠nyyi teeth
  • tsuo mbvak - elbow
  • ka̠ma - back
  • du̱kkwat - back of head
  • tak - leg
  • ka̠hwa - stomach
  • du̱kkwut - knee
  • hun-tak ankle
  • gruang - shoulder
  • kanu - mouth
  • kop - navel
  • pffwo - ear
  • du̱ssi - eye
  • a̠cat - hair
  • du̱byiang - breast
  • ka̠ta̠ssi - forehead
  • a̠ta̠ngbak - wrist
  • ka̠ta̠ng-hurung bak - finger
  • bva̠k - hand

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c Jju at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. ^ Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
  3. ^ "Bajju". Glottolog. 3.0. Retrieved 5 May 2017.[permanent dead link‍][failed verification]
  4. ^ Blench, Roger M. (2018). "Nominal affixes and number marking in the Plateau languages". In Watters, John R. (ed.). East Benue-Congo: Nouns, pronouns, and verbs. Niger-Congo Comparative Studies. Vol. 1. Berlin: Language Science Press. pp. 128–129. ISBN 9783961101009. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  5. ^ a b c McKinney 1990, p. 256.
  6. ^ a b McKinney 1990, p. 257.
  7. ^ McKinney 1990, p. 257, citing Hyuwa, D. (1986). "Kaje orthography". Orthographies of Nigerian Languages. Vol. 3/4. Lagos, Nigeria: National Language Centre. pp. 72–99.
  8. ^ McKinney 1990, p. 262.
  9. ^ McKinney 1990, p. 260.
  10. ^ @_Lifeofses (18 November 2023). "Went to my Aunts house and I saw this. Parts of the body in Jju language,a language that is being spoken by Bajju people from southern part of kaduna.A proper Bajju man should learn from this😁" (Tweet) – via Twitter.[better source needed]

References

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Jju language test of Wikipedia at Wikimedia Incubator
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Jju language.


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