Ahwai, also called the Ndunic languages (formerly Nandu-Tari), is a Plateau language cluster spoken to the southwest of Fadan Karshi in Sanga LGA, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Most villages are located at the foot of the Ahwai Mountains in Kaduna State.Roger Blench: Ndunic materials
Dialects There are three mutually intelligible dialects: Ndun (Nandu), spoken just to the southwest of the Ahwai Mountains. Nyeng (Ningon), spoken just to the northwest of the Ahwai Mountains. First documented in 2003. Shakara (Tari), spoken just to the southeast of the Ahwai Mountains.
Blench (2008) classified them as distinct Ndunic languages. However, that same year Ethnologue merged them as a single language.
Ahwai is a self-designated term used to refer to speakers of all three Ndunic languages.Blench, Roger M. 2018. Nominal affixes and number marking in the Plateau languages of Central Nigeria. In John R. Watters (ed.), East Benue-Congo: Nouns, pronouns, and verbs, 107–172. Berlin: Language Science Press.
Ndun Ndun is also known by the Hausa name Nandu. Ndun villages are Ànkpòŋ, Anfufalǐm, Ŋ̀bòk, Ànkàrà, Bányìn, and Ungwar Rimi.Blench, Roger M. 2007. The Ndun language of Central Nigeria and its affinities.
In Nince village, Kaduna State, the Nisam (Nince) people have all shifted to Ndun. The Nisam language remains undocumented.Blench, Roger M. 2012. Akpondu, Nigbo, Bəbər and Nisam: moribund or extinct languages of central Nigeria Babur.
Nyeng Nyeng is spoken by about 2,000 speakers in Adu and other villages in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The Nyeng people used to live on the hill of ifyal anyeŋ. Today, their villages are:Blench, Roger M. 2006. The Nyeng language of Central Nigeria and its affinities.
Nyeng name Hausa name Adu Ningon Kirya Pɔ̀hɔ́k Ungwan Giginya Pok Kyɔ́ Ungwan Dakaci Ungwan Rimi Ningon Titi
A word list of Nyeng was collected by Roger Blench and Barau Kato in 2003.
Shakara The main settlements of the Shakara are Jije Fyal, Nggwakum, Akayi, Apɔhɔt, Telehwe, Kobo, Koba, Nggwa Dauda, Nggwa Mangoro, Nggwa Igyan, Barib, and formerly Nggwa Yiri (now uninhabited).Blench, Roger. 2014. The Shakara (Tari) language of Central Nigeria and its affinities.
Names and locations Below is a list of Ndunic language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).
Language Cluster Alternate spellings Own name for language Endonym(s) Other names (location-based) Other names for language Speakers Location(s) Ndun-Nyeng-Shakara cluster Ndun-Nyeng-Shakara Ahwai [recently adopted name for the three languages] Ndun Ndun-Nyeng-Shakara Nandu Nyeng Ndun-Nyeng-Shakara Ningon Shakara Ndun-Nyeng-Shakara ìShákárá sg. kùShákárá pl. úShákárá Tari Shakara 3000 (Blench est. 2003) Kaduna State, a line of villages 7 km. due west of Mayir on the Fadan Karshe-Wamba road
References
Blench, Roger (2008). Prospecting proto-Plateau. Manuscript. Ethnologue merger of Ndunic
External links Roger Blench: Ndunic materials