Bikwin–Jen languages

The Bikwin–Jen or simply the Jen languages form a branch of the Adamawa family. They are spoken in and around Karim Lamido LGA (to the north of Jalingo LGA) in Taraba State, and in other nearby states of eastern Nigeria.

Bikwin-Jen may not necessarily be a coherent group. Due to the internal diversity of Bikwin-Jen, Guldemann (2018) suggests that Bikwin and Jen could form separate groups.

Norton & Othaniel (2020) and Norton (2019) refer to Bikwin–Jen simply as Jen. Kleinewillinghöfer (2015) uses the name Bikwin–Jen.

Kleinewillinghöfer (2015) classifies the Bikwin-Jen group as follows in the Adamawa Languages Project website.

Bikwin-Jen

• Bikwin
  • Burak-Loo
    • Burak [ɓʋʋrak]
    • Loo [shʋŋɔ]
  • Mak-Tal
    • Mak (LeeMak)
      • Panya
      • Zoo
    • Maɣdi (Tala)
  • Bikwin (proper)
    • Leelau (Munga Leelau)
    • Mɔɔ (Gomu)
    • Kya̰k (Bambuka)
• Jen (Janjo)
  • Dza
    • Dza (local variants)
    • Joole, Jaule
  • Munga Doso
  • Tha [θá]

Classification of the Jen languages by Norton & Othaniel (2020):

Language names, ISO codes, and autonyms of the Jen languages (Norton & Othaniel 2020):

Norton & Othaniel (2020) also reconstruct more than 250 words for Proto-Jen.

Jen cluster classification according to Norton (2019):

• Jen
• Burak, Loo
• Maghdi, LeeMak
• Kyak-Moo-LeeLau (Munga LeeLau)
• Tha (Joole Manga)
• Doso-Dza (Munga Doso; Dza-Joole)

Language varieties that are part of the Jen cluster according to Norton (2019):

Jen cluster

• Burak
• Loo of Galdemaru and Waamura
• Maghdi (Tala)
• Mak (LeeMak) of Panya and Zoo
• Kyãk (Bambuka)
• Moo (Gomu)
• LeeLau (Munga LeeLau)
• Munga Doso
• Dza (Jenjo) and Joole
• Tha (Joole Manga)

Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).

• Proto-Jen reconstructions (Wiktionary)

 This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 3.0 license.

• Bikwin-Jen (Adamawa Languages Project)
• Ɓəna-Mboi (Yungur) group (Adamawa Languages Project)
• Bena-Yungur (AdaGram)