Labir language

Labir
Jaku
Native toNigeria
RegionBauchi State
Ethnicity13,000 (2006)
Native speakers
500 (2008)
Language codes
ISO 639-3jku
Glottologlabi1245
ELPLabir
láɓír
Personmàn láɓír
Peopleɓúmàn láɓír
Languageláɓír
ʤàkú
Personmàn ʤàkú
Peopleɓúmàn ʤàkú
Languageʤàkú

Labir (also Labɨr, Lábír, Láɓír, or Láɓɨ́r), or Jaku, is one of the Jarawan languages of Nigeria, spoken in Bauchi State. Jaku (ʤàkú) is an exonym.

Background

Labɨr is spoken in Alkaleri LGA (in 13 villages) and Bauchi LGA (in 8 villages), Bauchi State, Nigeria. There are 24 villages total according to the Labɨr.

The villages are:

Alkaleri LGA:

Bauchi LGA:

Labɨr speakers are approximately 60% Muslim and 40% Christian. It is more commonly spoken by Christians, since Muslims tend to speak Hausa. Only about 10% of all ethnic Jaku people can speak the language.

Phonology

Labɨr has three level tones, as well as rising and falling tones.

References

  1. 1 2 Labir at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Blench, Roger. 2026. The Jarawan Bantu languages in Nigeria; what is new research telling us? 15 July 2026, Jos Linguistic Circle.
  3. ↑ Blench, Roger. 2025. An introduction to Jaku [jku, a barely documented Jarawan Bantu language of Central Nigeria]. Cambridge: Kay William Educational Foundation (KWEF).