Pongu (Pangu), or Rin, is a Kainji language spoken in Nigeria. There are about 20,000 speakers. Their main centre is in Pangu Gari town of Niger State, about 20 kilometres southeast of Tegina.[2]
| Pongu | |
|---|---|
| Rin | |
| Tə-rĩ | |
| Native to | Nigeria |
| Region | Niger State |
Native speakers | 30,000 (2003)[1] |
| Dialects |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | png |
| Glottolog | pong1250 |
| ELP | Pongu |
| Pongu (Rin) | |
|---|---|
| Person | Bwə-rĩ |
| People | A-rĩ |
| Language | Tə-rĩ |
Clans
editThere are 8 Rin clans. They speak slightly different but mutually comprehensible dialects.[2]
- Ca-su
- Ca-undu
- A-sebi
- Ca-gere = Ca-majere
- A-baba = U-bwɔbwɔ
- A-wusi = A-kwa
- A-zhiga
- A-waga = Awәgә
The Awәgә may have been a different ethnic group that was assimilated into the Rin group. Awәgә was a distinct language related to Rin, and used to be spoken in some villages to the east of Zungeru. However, today it is nearly extinct. Blench (2012) was able to record a semi-speaker in Dikko village, near Luwa town, Rafi LGA. Two fluent speakers were reported in Gidan Gambo, near Pongu Gari.[2]
Bibliography
edit- Dettweiler, Stephen and Sonia Dettweiler (2002) 'Sociolinguistic survey of the Pongu people', SIL Electronic Survey Reports 2002-040
References
edit- ^ Pongu at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ a b c Blench, Roger (2012). "The Kainji languages of northwestern and central Nigeria" (PDF). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
Further reading
edit