Jju (; ) is the native language of the Bajju people of Kaduna State in central Nigeria. As of 1988, there were approximately 300,000 speakers. Jju is one of the Southern Kaduna languages. Although usually listed separately from the Tyap cluster, Jju's separation, according to Blench R.M. (2018), seems to be increasingly ethnic rather than a linguistic reality.

Distribution Jju is spoken as a first language by the Bajju people in Zangon Kataf, Jema'a, Kachia, Kaura and Kaduna South Local Government Areas of Kaduna state. It is also spoken in neighbouring Atyap, Fantswam, Agworok, Ham, Adara, and other kin communities as a second or third language.

Phonology

Vowels +VowelsFrontCentralBackCloseMidOpen

A few words also include the long vowels and .

Consonants +ConsonantsLabialAlveolarPalatalVelarLabial–velarNasalplain tense Stopplain tense Affricateplain tense FricativeplaintenseRhotictaptensetrillApproximantlabial lab. tense central tense

There is a tenseness distinction, which McKinney (1990) calls a fortis-lenis distinction. McKinney analyzes the fortis consonants as longer than lenis consonants. There is allophonic palatalization before front vowels and allophonic labialization before rounded vowels. Most consonants have a three-way contrast between plain, labialized , and palatalized ., citing

Aspiration may phonetically occur among stops. Tense stops may also be heard as affricates .

Numerals

Numeral Jju word1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 1000

Vocabulary List of vocabulary relating to body parts. zwuoi - nose shog - cheek a̱kpukpa ka̱nu - lip zwuak - throat du̱ryem - tongue pffwa - neck ka̱dyet - chin ka̱hog - chest trang - beard ka̱wiyang - armpit du̱ccu - head a̱nyyi teeth tsuo mbvak - elbow ka̱ma - back du̱kkwat - back of head tak - leg ka̱hwa - stomach du̱kkwut - knee hun-tak - ankle gruang - shoulder ka̱nu - mouth kop - navel pffwo - ear du̱ssi - eye a̱cat - hair du̱byiang - breast ka̱ta̱ssi - forehead a̱ta̱ngbak - wrist ka̱ta̱ng-hurung bvak - finger bva̱k - hand

Notes

References

External links Diwan Jju (Voice of Jju)