Jarawa language (Nigeria)
Jarawa (also known as Jhar, or in Hausa: Jaranci) is the most populous of the Bantu languages of northern Nigeria. It is a dialect cluster consisting of many varieties.
Phonology
- /β/ only appears as a marginal phoneme.
- [ʔ] only appears in non-word-initial syllables.
- Sounds /n, t, l, r/ can be heard as palatal or retroflex [ɲ, ʈ, ɭ, ɽ] in word-final position. /k/ can also be heard as uvular [q] in the same position, and may also alternate with [ʁ] or [ɢ].
- Sounds /k͡x, ɡ͡ɣ/ can be heard as fricatives [x, ɣ] or [χ, ʁ] in intervocalic position.
- Sounds /ɛ, ɔ/ only appear after glides.
Dialects
Jarawa dialects are:
- Zhár (Bankal)
- Zugur (Duguri)
- Gwak (Gingwak)
- Ndaŋshi
- Dòòrì
- Mbat (Bada)
- Mùùn
- Kantana
- Dàmùl
Kantana may be a distinct language.
Blench (2019) lists these varieties as dialects of Jar (Jarawa).
- Zhar
- Ligri
- Kantana
- Bobar (?)
- Gwak (Gingwak)
- Dõõri
- Mbat
- Mbat-Galamkya