Somyev (Somyewe), also known as Kila ( in Fulfulde), is a nearly extinct Mambiloid language of two villages, one in Nigeria and one in Cameroon, that is spoken by a caste of blacksmiths that live among the Mambila. The youngest generation of speakers were born in the 1950s. Transmission of the language ceased when the profession of blacksmithing lost its social status, partly due to imports of foreign tools.Connell, B. (1997). Moribund languages of the Nigeria-Cameroon borderland. In M. Brezinger (ed.), Endangered Languages in Africa. Cologne, Germany: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag. Pp 197–213.
Geographic distribution As of 1997, Somyev was spoken in two villages, Kila Yang in the Mambilla Plateau region of Taraba State, Nigeria, and another in Cameroon.
Classification Somyev is a member of the Mambiloid languages. It was sometimes believed to be a variety of Wawa or Vute; however, these are due to the association of the Somyev with the Wawa people. Bruce Connell believed that it was "apparently relatively closely related to Wawa and other languages of the region".
Status Somyev is a moribund language. The youngest generation of speakers was born in the 1950s. In 1997, only around 20 speakers were left; by 2010, this number had decreased to two. The loss of blacksmithing traditions among the Somyev has resulted in the language's current endangerment. The Somyev traditionally held a monopoly on the manufacturing of hoes, but with the arrival of imported hoes, blacksmithing lost its importance and has affected the vitality of the language. Connell thought the endangerment of Somyev to be "[o]n the surface, at least...anomalous", as it was due to economic and cultural change rather than due to a popuilation decline, the cause of endangerment for most languages in Africa. The Somyev use Fulfulde as a lingua franca, but the Maberem and Torbi varieties of Mambila are spoken as a first language by the younger Somyev, and are used as the language of daily communication in their communities.
Morphology
Pronouns +Pronouns in Somyevmə́tə̂bə̄nà, baraiwɔ̂bə̄kə̄bá
Vocabulary
Numerals +Numerals in SomyevNumeralSomyev1mwē2hàːn3tàːr4nàːn5tíɛ̂n6tɛ́mwe7tɛ́nàːn8tɛ́ntàːr9tɛ́nnàːn10tʃóŋ
References