Yukubenic languages
Language family
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Yukubenic languages (or Oohum languages; formerly South Jukunoid)[1] are a branch of the Benue–Congo languages. It has also been classified as a subgroup of either the Jukunoid family or the Plateau family spoken in southeastern Nigeria. Glottolog places Yukubenic in the Plateau family.[2] Ethnologue, however, places Yukubenic in the Jukunoid family,[3] based on Shimizu (1980). Blench (2026) proposes that Yukubenic is not a branch of Jukunoid or Plateau, but rather an independent branch of Benue–Congo. Similarities with Plateau are due to contact rather than genetic affiliation.[4]
distributionNigeria
| Yukubenic | |
|---|---|
| Oohum | |
| Geographic distribution | Nigeria |
| Linguistic classification | Niger–Congo? |
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | yuku1243 |
Classification
The Yukubenic languages are:
Yukubenic has considerable internal lexical diversity. However, Blench (2026) does not consider Kuteb and Kapya to Yukubenic languages. Rather, Kuteb–Kapya is an independent branch of Benue–Congo in the classification of Blench (2026).[4]
Names and locations
Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).[5]
| Language | Branch | Dialects | Alternate spellings | Own name for language | Endonym(s) | Other names (location-based) | Other names for language | Exonym(s) | Speakers | Location(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kapya | Yukuben–Kutep | Taraba State, Takum LGA, at Kapya | ||||||||
| Kuteb | Yukuben–Kutep | Lissam, Fikyu, Jenuwa, Rufu, Kentin: Fikyu has sub–dialects | Kutev, Kutep | Ati (Administrative name in Cameroon) | Mbarike, Zumper (Jompre) (not recommended) | 15,592 (1952 W&B);[6] 30,000 (1986 UBS); 1400 in Cameroon (1976) | Taraba State, Takum LGA and in Cameroon, Furu Awa subdivision | |||
| Yukuben | Yukuben–Kutep | Nyikuben, Nyikobe, Ayikiben, Yikuben | Oohum, Uuhum | Boritsu, Balaabe | Uuhum-Gigi in Cameroon | 10,000 (1971 Welmers);[7] 1,000 in Cameroon (1976) | Taraba State, Takum LGA; and in Furu-Awa subdivision, Cameroon |