The Ron, Ronic or Ron–Fyer languages, group A.4 of the West Chadic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family, are spoken in Plateau State, north-central Nigeria.
Ron | |
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Ron–Fyer | |
Geographic distribution | Mangu LGA, Plateau State, Nigeria |
Linguistic classification | Afro-Asiatic |
Subdivisions |
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Glottolog | west2716 |
![]() West Chadic per Newman (1977) |
The Ron languages have undergone extensive influence from Tarok.[1]
The Ron languages, and their tentative relationships, are:[2][3]
Blench (2019)[4] groups the following in the (Central) Ron/Run dialect cluster: Bokkos, Mbar, Daffo–Butura, Manguna, Mangar, Sha.
While noting that Ron is in fact a complex linkage, Blench (2003) rejects two of the connections proposed in Seibert (1998) [Sha with Mundat–Karfa and Mangar with Kulere/Richa]:[5]
Below is a comprehensive list of Ron language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).[4]
Language | Cluster | Dialects | Alternate spellings | Own name for language | Other names (based on location) | Other names for language | Exonym(s) | Speakers | Location(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fyer | Fier | 1,500 (1970); 10,000 (Blench 1999) | Plateau State, Mangu LGA | ||||||
Karfa | Kerifa | 800 (SIL 1973) | Nasarawa State, Akwanga LGA | ||||||
Kulere | Tof, Richa, Kamwai: the latter includes Marahai (Marhai) | Akande (Kamwaĩ, Àkàndí (Tof), Kande (Richa) | Tof, Richa, Kamwai | Korom Ɓoye | 6,500 (1925 Meek); 4,933 (1943 Ames); 8,000 (1973 SIL) | Plateau State, Bokkos LGA | |||
Mundat | Plateau State, Mangu LGA | ||||||||
Shagawu | Shagau | Nafunfia, Maleni | 20,000 (SIL) | Plateau State, Mangu LGA | |||||
Tambas | Tembis | 3,000 (SIL) | Plateau State, Mangu LGA | ||||||
Run cluster | Run | Bokkos and Daffo–Mbar-Butura are more closely related than Sha | Ron | Run | Challa, Cala, Chala, Challawa | 13,120 (1934 Ames); 60,000 (1985 UBS) | Plateau State, Bokkos LGA | ||
Run Bokkos | Run | Bokkos, Baron | Lis ma Run | Bokos | Challa, Cala | ||||
Run Daffo–Mbar-Butura | Run | Daffa, Mbar, Butura | Ron | Alis I Run | Batura | Mbar-wuh | Challa | ||
Manguna | Run | Plateau State, Mangu LGA | |||||||
Mangar | Run | Plateau State, Mangu LGA | |||||||
Sha | Run | 500 (SIL); about 1,000 (1970 Jungraithmayr) | Plateau State, Mangu LGA |
Proto-Ron | |
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Reconstruction of | Ron languages |
Since the Ron languages form a diverse linkage, Ron reconstruction is not straightforward due to the lack of neat sound correspondences. There are many borrowings from neighbouring Niger-Congo Plateau languages that Ron had assimilated or been in contact with.[3]
Proto-Ron reconstructions by Roger Blench are as follows.[2]
No. | English | Proto-Ron |
---|---|---|
1. | person | *naaf |
7. | friend | **mwin |
19. | name | *sum |
45. | flesh | *lo |
46. | head | *hay |
49. | bone | *kaʃ |
53. | ear | *kumu |
54. | nose | **atin |
57. | mouth | *fo |
59. | tongue | *liʃ |
61. | tooth | *haŋgor |
62. | molar | *ɓukum |
64. | chin | *njumut |
69. | throat | *goroŋ |
72. | breast (female) | *fofo |
73. | chest | *cin |
79. | navel | **mutuk |
83. | elbow | *kukwat |
91. | thigh | *for |
107. | saliva, spittle | *lyal |
110. | urine | *sar |
190. | I | *yin |
238. | crocodile | **haram |
1072. | blow (mouth) | *fuɗ |
1089. | call (summon) | *lahyal |
1157. | fall | *fur |
1218. | land | **nɗoro |
1241. | meet | *tof |
1249. | open (door) | *ɓwali |
1276. | put | *kin |
Plurals of nouns in Ron languages are typically formed with -a- infixes.[6]
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 3.0 license.
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Hausa–Gwandara (A.1) | |||||||
Bole–Tangale (A.2) |
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Angas (A.3) | |||||||
Ron (A.4) | |||||||
Bade (B.1) | |||||||
Warji (B.2) | |||||||
Barawa (B.3) |
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Others | |||||||
Italics indicate extinct languages. See also: Chadic languages |