Karai-karai

Karai-karai (Francophonic spelling: Karekare, Kerrikerri, Ajami: كاراي-كاراي) is a language spoken in West Africa, most prominently North eastern Nigeria. The number of speakers of Karai-karai is estimated between 1,500,000 and 1,800,000 million, primarily spoken by the ethnic Karai-Karai people. It is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken principally in Nigeria with communities in Bauchi State, Yobe State, Gombe State and other parts of Nigeria. Many Karai-karai words share a common origin with the Northwest Semitic languages of Hebrew and Arabic. The Karai-karai language is most closely related to the Ngamo and Bole languages (spoken in north eastern Nigeria) which are both considered derivatives of the Karai-karai language.

Distribution Karai-karai (and its dialects) is a well-spoken language in the following northern Nigerian states:

Bauchi State Yobe State Borno State Gombe State Taraba State Adamawa State Jigawa State Kano State Nasarawa State

Classification Karai-karai is classified among the Bole-Tangale languages, together with Bure, Deno, Gero, Geruma, Galambu, Giiwo, Kubi, Maaka, Ɓeele, Daza, Pali, Ngamo, Bole and the isolate Tangale form the BoleTangale group of languages within the West Chadic branch of the Chadic family. In present-day Nigeria, it is estimated that there are over 2 million Karai-karai primary and secondary language speakers within Nigeria, it is the second most widely spoken language in North eastearn Nigeria.

Bole-Tangale languages

Below is a comprehensive list of Bole–Tangale languages names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019). It is the subgroup which the Karai-karai language belongs

Language Cluster Dialects Alternate spellings Own name for language Endonym(s) Other names (location-based) Other names for language Exonym(s) Speakers Daza Daza a few villages (Note: No data available) Bauchi State, Darazo LGA Bole Bara, Fika (Fiyankayen, Anpika) Bòò Pìkkà, Bopika Am Pìkkà, Ampika Fika, Piika Bolanci Anika, Bolewa 32,000 (1952 W&B); est. >100,000 (1990) Bauchi State, Dukku, Alkaleri, and Darazo LGAs; Borno State, Fika LGA Bure BuBure Bure Bure A single village southeast of Darazo town Bauchi State, Darazo LGA Ɓeele Bele Àɓéelé bòhé áɓéelé sg., Àɓéelé pl. Bellawa 120 (Temple 1922); a few villages Bauchi State Deno 9,900 (LA 1971) Bauchi State, Darazo LGA; 45 km northeast of Bauchi town Galambu Galembi, Galambe Galambu Galambu 8505 (Temple 1922); 2020 (Meek 1925); 1000 (SIL) Bauchi State, Bauchi LGA, at least 15 villages Dera Shani, Shellen and Gasi Bo Dera na Dera sg., Dera pl. Kanakuru 11,300 (W&B) Adamawa State, Shellen LGA; Borno State, Shani LGA Fyandigeri Fyandigere sg. laa Fyandigeri, pl. Fyandigeri Gerawa, Gere, Gera 13,300 (LA 1971); at least 30 villages. Many Gera villages no longer speak the language. A 2018 survey suggested there are only 4 villages where the language is being passed on to children. Bauchi State, Bauchi and Darazo LGAs Geruma Sum, Duurum, possibly Gamsawa/Gamshi (Temple) Gerema, Germa Geerum (Duurum dialect); Gyeermu (Sum dialect) Geerum (Duurum dialect); sg. na Gyeermu, pl. Gyeermu (Sum dial.) 4,700 (LA 1971) Bauchi State, Toro and Darazo LGAs. At least 10 villages Giiwo Kirifi Bu Giiwo sg. Ba Giiwo, pl. Ma Giiwo 3,620 (1922 Temple); 14,000 (SIL) Bauchi State, Alkaleri, Bauchi and Darazo LGAs, 24 villages Karai-karai Western Jalalúm, northern Bíŕkaí, southern Pakaró (Pakaráu)/Matací and eastern Ngwajum Kәrekәre, Kerekere, Karaikarai, Kerikeri Bo Karai-karai Sg. Bakarkare, Pl. KaraikaraiJalamawa Karkanci, Karekaranci, Bo Saban Bakwaráu, Bakwaró 1,000,000 (2005) Bauchi State; Dambam, Gamawa and Misau LGAs; Yobe State; Nangere, Potiskum, Fune and Fika LGAs Gombe State; Nafada and Deba LGAs Kholok Kode, Koode, Kwoode, Widala, Pia, Wurkum, Pitiko 2,500 (1977 Voegelin & Voegelin) Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA, near Didango Kubi Kuba 1,090 (1922 Temple); 500 (1973 SIL) Bauchi State, Darazo LGA, 40 km. N.E. of Bauchi town Kulung (Chadic) Kulung (speakers consider themselves Kulung i.e. Jarawan Bantu, although their language is Chadic and related to Piya) Wurkum 2000? Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA Kutto Kupto Kúttò Kúttò Two villages. 3000 (1990 est.) Bauchi State, Bajoga LGA, Yobe State, Gujba LGA Maaka Two dialects; Maaka (at Gulani) and Maha (at Vara) Magha, Maga, Maha More than 4,000 (1990) Yobe State, Gujba LGA. Gulani and Bara towns and associated hamlets. Northeast of Dadin Kowa Reservoir. Ngamo Gamo 17,800 (1952 W&B) Borno State, Fika LGA; Bauchi State, Darazo LGA, Darazo district and Dukku LGA, Nafada district Pero Dialects associated with three major settlements Walo Péerò sg. Péerò, pl. Pìpéerò Filiya [town name] 6,664 (1925 Meek); 20,000 (1973 SIL) Gombe State, Shongom LGA, around Filiya. 3 main villages: Gwandum, Gundale and Filiya. Piya–Kwonci cluster Piya–Kwonci Pia Wurkum, Pitiko 2,500 (1977 Voegelin & Voegelin) Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA, near Didango Piya Piya–Kwonci Pia Wurkum Kwonci Piya–Kwonci Kunshenu More than 4000 (1990) Goji Fo Goji Nya Goji pl. Memme Goji Kushe, Kushi Chong'e 4000 (1973 SIL); 5000 (1990). ca. 20 villages (2007) Gombe State, Shongom LGA Kwaami Kafarati, Ɗolli Kwami, Kwom Kwáámì Kwáámì Komawa 10,000 (1990) Bauchi State, Kwami LGA Nyam Nyambolo A single village Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA, at Andami village Tangale Ture, Kaltungo, Shongom, Billiri Tangle Táŋlɛ̀ Billiri 36,000 (1952 W&B); 100,000 (1973 SIL) Gombe State, Kaltungo, Alkaleri and Akko LGAs

Literary Karai-karai Standard Karai-karai has its origin in the 1950s, when Northern Region Literary Agency (NORLA) worked on the book Ndar Ma Karatu which is the earliest publication in Karai-karai published by Gaskiya Corporation.Russeel G. Schuch; Yobe State Languages Research Project: aflang.humanities.ucla.edu/language-materials/chadic-languages/yobe/Karai-Karai

Writing system Alphabets Karai-karai language is written with the basic Latin script, with four diacritics appearing on vowels (circumflex accent, acute accent, grave accent) and the cedilla appearing in "ç" and "ş". The Latin letters ⟨q⟩, ⟨v⟩, ⟨x⟩ are not used as part of the official orthography of Standard Karai-karai.

+ Karai-karai Alphabets Capital Letters A B Ɓ C D Ɗ E G H I J K Ƙ L M N O P R R̃ S Ş T U W ʼW Y ʼY Z Small Letters a b ɓ c d ɗ e g h i j k ƙ l m n o p r r̃ s ş t u w ʼw y ʼy z

Orthography

Digraphs: dl, hn, tl, zh, lh, lz, zh, sh, ny, nz, nd, nt, nc, nk, nj, ng, mp, mb. mɓ, kw, gw, ƙw, zh, sh. Trigraphs: nlz, nzh, ngw, nkw Accents: à, â, á, ā, è, ê, é, ē, ì, í, ī, î, ò, ō, ó, ù, ū, ú, ā̀, ḕ, ī̀, ṑ, ū̀, ā́, ḗ, ī́, ṓ, ū́.

Vowels The Karai-karai language has five long vowels, a, e, i, o, u and five long vowels [a:, e:, i:, o:, and u:] these five long vowels are written as ā, ē, ī, ō, ū or with double letters as follows: aa, ee, ii, oo, and uu as used by some dialects.

The diphthongs: au and ai.

See also Gooya Valley

References

Works cited