Tula–Waja languages

The Tula–Waja, or Tula–Wiyaa languages are a branch of the provisional Savanna languages, closest to Kam (Nyingwom), spoken in northeastern Nigeria. They are spoken primarily in southeastern Gombe State and other neighbouring states.

Tula–Waja
Tula–Wiyaa
Geographic distribution	northeastern Nigeria
Linguistic classification	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Volta–Congo Savannas Waja–Kam Tula–Waja
Subdivisions	Awak Cham–Mona Dadiya Tula
Language codes
Glottolog	tula1250

They were labeled "G1" in Joseph Greenberg's Adamawa language-family proposal and later placed in a Waja–Jen branch of that family.

Guldemann (2018) observes significant internal lexical diversity within Tula-Waja, partly as a result of word tabooing accelerating lexical change.^[1] Although noun classes have been lost in Dadiya, Maa, and Yebu, Waja and Tula retain complex noun class systems.^[2] Kleinewillinghöfer (1996) also observes many morphological similarities between the Tula–Waja and Central Gur languages,^[3] a view shared by Bennett (1983) and Bennett & Sterk (1977).^[4][5]

Languages

• Awak: Awak (Yebu), Kamo
• Cham–Mona: Dijim-Bwilim, Tso
• Dadiya
• Tula: Bangwinji, Tula, Waja

Classification

Ulrich Kleinewillinghöfer (2014), in the Adamawa Languages Project website, classifies the Tula–Waja languages as follows. Kleinewillinghöfer considers Tso and Cham to be branches that had diverged earlier. Waja is considered by Kleinewillinghöfer to be a distinct branch, although its exact position within Tula-Waja remains uncertain.^[2]

Tula–Waja

• Core Tula group
  • Tula
    • Kutule
      • Wange
      • Baule
    • Yiri (Yili)
  • Dadiya (local variants)
  • Bangwinji
    • Kaalo
    • Naabaŋ
• Yebu (Awak) (local variants)
• Ma (Kamo, Kamu)
• Cham
  • Dijim of Kindiyo
  • Bwilim (of Mɔna and Loojaa)
• Tso (Lotsu-Piri)
  • Tso of the Swaabou
  • Tso of the Bərbou
    • Tso of the Gusubo
    • Tso of Luuzo
• Waja
  • Waja of Wɩɩ (Wajan Kasa) (local variants)
  • Waja of Deri (Wajan Dutse) (two variants)

Names and locations

Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).^[6]

Language	Dialects	Alternate spellings	Own name for language	Endonym(s)	Other names (location-based)	Other names for language	Exonym(s)	Speakers	Location(s)
Dijim–Bwilim								7,545 (1968). ca. 20 villages	Gombe State, Balanga LGA, Adamawa State, Lamurde LGA
Dijim			Dijim	sg Níi Dìjí pl. Dìjím	Cham, Cam, Kindiyo,
Bwilim			Bwilə́m	sg Níi Bwilí pl. Bwilə́m	Mwana, Mwona [Hausa name], Fitilai [village name]			4,282
Dadiya		Nda Dia, Dadia	Bwe Daddiya pl. Daddiyab	Nyíyò Daddiya				3,986 (1961), 20,000 (1992 est.).	Gombe State, Balanga LGA, Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA and Adamawa State, Lamurde LGA. Between Dadiya and Bambam.
Ma			Ma sg. nụbá Ma pl.	nyii Ma	Kamo, Kamu			3000 (SIL)	Gombe State, Kaltungo and Akko LGAs
Tsobo	Bәrbou, Guzubo, Swabou	Cibbo	Tsóbó	nyi Tsó	Lotsu–Piri, Pire, Fire	Kitta		2,000 (1952)	Gombe State, Kaltungo LGA, Adamawa State, Numan LGA
Tula	Baule, Wangke [used for literacy development], Yiri	Ture	yii Kitule	Naba Kitule pl. Kitule				19,209 (1952 W&B); 12,204 (1961–2 Jungraithmayr); 19,000 (1973 SIL). ca. 50 villages ?100,000 est.	Gombe State, Kaltungo LGA. Tula is 30 km. east of Billiri.
Wiyaa	Plain and Hills	Wagga	Nyan Wịyáù	Wịyáà	Waja			19,700 (1952 W&B); 50,000 (1992 est.)	Gombe State, Balanga and Kaltungo LGAs, Waja district. Taraba State, Bali LGA.
Bangjinge	Nabang, Kaloh [orthography based on Nabang]	Bangunji, Bangunje, Bangwinji	Báŋjìŋè sg. Báŋjìŋèb pl.	nyii Bánjòŋ				8000 CAPRO (1995a).[7] 25 villages (2008)	Gombe State, Shongom LGA
Yebu			Yěbù	Nìín Yěbù	Awok			2,035 (1962)	Gombe State, Kaltungo LGA: 10 km northeast of Kaltungo

See also

• Tula-Waja word lists (Wiktionary)