Fam language
Bantoid language of Nigeria From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fam ([fám][1]) is an endangered[2] Bantoid language, spoken by less than 500 in Bali LGA, Taraba State, Nigeria.
Name
The speakers call themselves Fam, and their language either Fam or Awol Fam, although outsiders call the language Koŋa, Kɔŋa or Konga.[3][4]
Demographics
Speakers
In 2016, the language had less than 500 speakers.[4]
Fam is recorded as having either 1000, or less than 1000 speakers in 1984.[5][4] However, according to linguist Roger Blench, it did not have more than 500 speakers when it was recorded in 1984.[3]
Area spoken
The language was previously thought to be spoken in the single village of Sabon Gida.[3] However, according to later research, it is actually spoken in multiple villages.[1]
Classification
Fam is unclassified within the Bantoid family.[6]
Blench (1993) classifies Fam as a Mambiloid language, within the Northern Bantoid family. It is classed there as likely related particularly to Ndoro, on the basis of a few cognates.[7][3] Likewise, Dimmendaal and Voeltz (2007) classify it as a member of the Mambiloid group.[8] However, Blench (2014) revises his former opinion, stating there is not enough data for a classification and that the claim of a relation to Ndoro is very weak. He concludes Fam is best treated as an isolated Bantoid language.[3] Still, Blench (2020) lists it as a Mambiloid language, most closely related to Ndoro.[4]
Grammar
A minimal grammar of the language was written by Tope Olagunjo Demilade in 2017.[9]
Wordlist
Summarize
Perspective
This wordlist comes from Blench (2014), although note that the words lack tone markers.[3]
Many of the words have no clear etymology. There are cognates with Mambiloid languages, but this cannot be considered proof of a genetic connection as they are often with words that are isolated in Mambiloid languages. For example, "leopard" is asar in Fam and sɛre in Mvanip; this may be evidence of a shared substrate. Many words have a plural suffix -bə, resembling many Mambiloid languages but also many Dakoid languages.[3]
In the phonology, there is evidence of contact with Jukun, but no good evidence for classification as a Jukunoid language. Note the prefix a- found in some plurals, like the Jukunoid languages; many singular nouns also seem to have this prefix. The phone /θ/ is present, characteristic of Jukunoid languages (but unusual for Mambiloid languages).[3]
There are common words shared with Upper Cross River languages (e.g. "one" is wuni in Fam, wɔ̀ní in Gbo and wɔ̀nɔ́ in Mbembe), but again these are not considered proof of relation here.[3]
The words for 'man' and 'women' both have suppletive-seeming plurals, a common West African areal feature.[3]
| English | Fam |
|---|---|
| man | yeyir (plural: ayɛrbo) |
| woman | yife (plural: yɛswɔp) |
| head | cɛl |
| face | ŋgir |
| nose | nwun |
| mouth | ŋwũ |
| tooth | ɲuŋ |
| tongue | álám |
| neck | acuŋ |
| arm, hand | vwa |
| leg | akwal |
| animal | iɲam gənə |
| meat | iɲam |
| horse | avun |
| cow, zebu | ane |
| fowl, chicken | àʧóò |
| goat | aʤwəl |
| sheep | dim θey |
| dog | aʒo |
| cat | akule |
| elephant | aθa |
| hippopotamus | aθa iɲum |
| buffalo, "bushcow" | iya |
| lion | awuyir |
| leopard | asar |
| hyena | abay |
| tortoise | ʧuwa kway |
| crocodile | ʒɛp |
| fish | aʒwey |
| bird | awun |
| egg | ʤinʤwo |
| yam | vuŋ |
| millet | gambal |
| sorghum | θi |
| okra | ʧum |
| old cocoyam | tuùŋ |
| sorrel, roselle | ʧwɔŋ |
| beans | sa |
| groundnut(s) | aθi wap |
| banana | agwe |
| tree | ʧi (plural: aʧi) |
| leaf | ra |
| locust tree | àlàm |
| sun | aŋgwo |
| moon, month | aʒɛr |
| sand | aθa |
| stone | tal (plural: atalbə) |
| water | ɲim kwe |
| fire | va |
| go (finally) | harə |
| come | kaŋbə |
| eat | ləra |
| drink | nuwunə |
| play (games) | mun |
| sing | yar |
| kill | val bəle |
| beat (drum), flog | za |
Numbers
This list of numbers comes from Blench (2014), although note that the words lack tone markers.[3]
| English | Fam |
|---|---|
| one | wuni |
| two | baale |
| three | tawnə |
| four | daare |
| five | ʧwiine |
| six | ʧowuna (5+1) |
| seven | ʧipalə (5+2) |
| eight | twitawnə (5+3) |
| nine | ʧundaarə (5+4) |
| ten | kwoy |
| twenty | ɲiwunə |
Further reading
- Tope Olagunjo Demilade, The Fam Language of Taraba State: Basic Description and Grammatical Analysis, 2017
References
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