The WIYAA group

 

General information

 

The Wiyaa group consists of eight languages, Wiyaa, Tula, Yebu, Bangwinji, Dadiya, Maa, Dijim, Bwilim, Tso, all spoken within northeastern Nigeria. The nomenclature of these languages is as follows;

 

Common name

Reference name

Alternative names

Waja

Wiyaa

Wuya, Nyan Wiyau

Tula

Tula

Kotule, Kutule

Awak

Yebu

Awok

Bangwinji

Bangwinji

Bangunji, Bangjinge

Dadiya

Dadiya

Dadia, Daadiya, Loodiya

Kamo

Maa

Kamu, Nubama, Nyima, Ma

Cham

Dijim

Cam

Mwana

Bwilim

Mwano, Mwona, Mwomo, Mona, Mwana, Fitilai

Lotsu-Piri

Tso

Lotsu-Piri, Cibbo, Tsóbó, Cuyi Tsó, Pire, Piri, Kitta

 

The following table shows the locations of the Wiyaa group populations and very rough estimates of their numbers.

 

Name

Location

Population

Wiyaa

Gombe State, Balanga, Akko, Yamaltu Deba LGAs; Adamawa State, northern Michika LGA; Borno State, Gwoza LGA; Taraba State, Bali LGA.

60,000 (1989)

Tula

Gombe State, Kaltungo LGA, 30 km. east of Billiri.

30,000 (1989)

Yebu

Gombe State, Kaltungo LGA

6000 (1995)

Bangwinji

Bauchi State, Balanga, Billiri, and Kaltungo LGAs

6000 (1992)

Dadiya

Bauchi State, Balanga LGA; Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA; Adamawa State, Numan LGA, between Dadiya and Bambam

30,000 (1998)

Maa

Gombe State, Billiri, Kaltungo and Akko LGAs.

20,000 (1995)

Dijim

Bauchi State, Balanga LGA; Gongola State, Numan LGA

25,000 (1998) (with Bwilim)

Bwilim

Bauchi State, Balanga LGA; Gongola State, Numan LGA

 

Tso

Adamawa State, Numan LGA; Bauchi State, Kaltungo LGA

16000 (1992)

 

The following table shows the dialects recorded for each language;

 

Name

Dialects

Wiyaa

Deruwo (Wajan Dutse), Waja (Wajan Kasa)

Tula

Kutule, Baule, Yili

Yebu

 

Bangwinji

Kaalo, Naaban

Dadiya

Tunga (Boleri), Loofiyo, Kookwila, Loofaa

Maa

 

Dijim

 

Bwilim

 

Tso

Berbou, Gusubou, Swabou

 

Papers

 

Date

Title or resource

Status

2020

The phonology and noun morphology of Yi Kitʊlɛ, an Adamawa language of East-Central Nigeria. Special issue on the Adamawa languages. Proceedings of the first Adamawa Conference (Mainz, September 9–11 2019). Sabine Littig, Friederike Vigeland, Alexander Zheltov eds. Language in Africa, 1(3): 155–180. doi 10.37892/2686-8946-2020-1-3-155-180 Also: Powerpoint (2019)

Published

2020

Aspects of the phonology and grammar of the Yebu [=Awak] language in Nigeria.  ms.

Unpublished

 

The table below directs you to a page for each language, where additional information is available;

 

Name

Page