The Nyingwom or Kam language is a Niger-Congo language spoken in eastern Nigeria. Blench (2019) lists speakers residing in the main villages of Mayo Kam and Kamajim in Bali LGA, Taraba State.[2] Lesage reports that Kam is spoken in 27 villages of Bali LGA. [3]
| Nyingwom | |
|---|---|
| Kam | |
| Àngwɔ̀m | |
| Pronunciation | [ɲí ŋwɔ̀m] |
| Region | eastern Nigeria |
Native speakers | (5,000 cited 1993)[1] |
Niger–Congo?
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | kdx |
| Glottolog | kamm1249 |
| Nyí ŋwɔ̀m | |
|---|---|
| Person | nyí ŋwɔ̀m |
| Country | àbìbì nyí ŋwɔ̀m |
Nyingwom was labeled as branch "G8" in Joseph Greenberg's Adamawa language family proposal. The precise classification of Kam is a matter of current research.
Speakers refer to themselves and their language as Nyí ŋwɔ̀m. Kamajim (Kam: àngwɔ́g ɲí 'house of the people') is the traditional capital of the Kam at the western foothills of a mountain range situated to the north of the Kam River. The Kam have historically been in extensive contact with the Kororofa Jukun.[3]
Distribution
editKam or Nyingwom is spoken by approximately fewer than 5,000 speakers in the settlements of:[4]
- Sarkin Dawa (70)
- Mayo Kam (150)
- Garin Hamza (700)
- Din Kamaajin A, B, C, D (3,000)
- Garin Laa (300)
- Garin Bandari (300)
However, Jakob Lesage estimates 20,000-25,000 speakers in 27 villages in May 2017.[3]
Unlike many other Niger-Congo languages, Kam does not have a noun class system.
Phonology
edit| Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Labiovelar | Glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plosive | p b | t d | tʃ dʒ | k g | kp gb | |
| Fricative | f v | s z | ʃ | h | ||
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | ||
| Approximant | w | r, l |
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | i ĩ | ɨ | u |
| Mid-high | e ẽ | o õ | |
| Mid-low | ɛ | ɔ | |
| Low | a ã |
Additionally, Nyingwom has six tones;[5] high, mid, low, rising, falling, and high-falling.
Further reading
edit- Lesage, Jakob. 2019. Selected Kam documentation (with audio). Pangloss Collection: An archive for endangered languages.
- Meek, Charles K. 1931. Tribal Studies in Northern Nigeria, Vol. 2. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., Ltd.
References
edit- ^ Nyingwom at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
- ^ a b c Lesage, Jakob. Kam. AdaGram.
- ^ Kleinewillinghöfer, Ulrich. 2015. Some notes on Nyiŋɔm (aka Nyingwom or Kam).
- ^ a b c Lesage, Jakob (2020). A grammar and lexicon of Kam (àŋwɔ̀m), a Niger-Congo language of central eastern Nigeria. Paris: Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO).
External links
edit- Kam, by Jakob Lesage. AdaGram.