Ron languages
The Ron, Ronic or Ron–Fyer languages, group A.4 of the West Chadic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family, are spoken in Plateau State, north-central Nigeria.
The Ron languages have undergone extensive influence from Tarok.
Languages
The Ron languages, and their tentative relatioships, are:;Ron
- Fyer, Tambas
- *Central Ron
- **Daffo-Mbar-Butura
- **Bokkos
- **Monguna
- *Sha
- *Mangar
- *Mundat–Karfa
- **Mundat
- **Karfa
- *Kulere
While noting that Ron is in fact a complex linkage, Blench rejects two of the connections proposed in Seibert :
- Northern: Fyer, Tambas
- Central: Bokkos, Daffo-Mbar-Butura, Monguna
- Western: Sha, Mundat, Karfa
- Southern: Richa, Mangar
Names and locations
| Language | Cluster | Dialects | Alternate spellings | Own name for language | Other names | Other names for language | Exonym | Speakers | Location | - | - |
| Fyer | Fier | 1,500 ; 10,000 | Plateau State, Mangu LGA | - | - | ||||||
| Karfa | Kerifa | 800 | Nasarawa State, Akwanga LGA | - | - | ||||||
| Kulere | Tof, Richa, Kamwai: the latter includes Marahai | Akande, Kande | Tof, Richa, Kamwai | Korom Ɓoye | 6,500 ; 4,933 ; 8,000 | Plateau State, Bokkos LGA | - | - | |||
| Mundat | Plateau State, Mangu LGA | - | - | ||||||||
| Shagawu | Shagau | Nafunfia, Maleni | 20,000 | Plateau State, Mangu LGA | - | - | |||||
| Tambas | Tembis | 3,000 | Plateau State, Mangu LGA | - | - | ||||||
| Run cluster | Run | Bokkos and Daffo–Mbar-Butura are more closely related than Sha | Ron | Run | Challa, Cala, Chala, Challawa | 13,120 ; 60,000 | Plateau State, Bokkos LGA | - | - | ||
| Run Bokkos | Run | Bokkos, Baron | Lis ma Run | Bokos | Challa, Cala | - | - | ||||
| Run Daffo–Mbar-Butura | Run | Daffa, Mbar, Butura | Ron | Alis I Run | Batura | Mbar-wuh | Challa | ||||
| Manguna | Run | Plateau State, Mangu LGA | - | - | |||||||
| Mangar | Run | Plateau State, Mangu LGA | - | - | |||||||
| Sha | Run | 500 ; about 1,000 | Plateau State, Mangu LGA | - | - |
Reconstruction
Since the Ron languages form a diverse linkage, Ron reconstruction is not straightforward due to the lack of neat sound correspondences. There are many borrowings from neighbouring Niger-Congo Plateau languages that Ron had assimilated or been in contact with.Proto-Ron reconstructions by Roger Blench are as follows.
| No. | English | Proto-Ron |
| 1. | person | *naaf |
| 7. | friend | **mwin |
| 19. | name | *sum |
| 45. | flesh | *lo |
| 46. | head | *hay |
| 49. | bone | *kaʃ |
| 53. | ear | *kumu |
| 54. | nose | **atin |
| 57. | mouth | *fo |
| 59. | tongue | *liʃ |
| 61. | tooth | *haŋgor |
| 62. | molar | *ɓukum |
| 64. | chin | *njumut |
| 69. | throat | *goroŋ |
| 72. | breast | *fofo |
| 73. | chest | *cin |
| 79. | navel | **mutuk |
| 83. | elbow | *kukwat |
| 91. | thigh | *for |
| 107. | saliva, spittle | *lyal |
| 110. | urine | *sar |
| 190. | I | *yin |
| 238. | crocodile | **haram |
| 1072. | blow | *fuɗ |
| 1089. | call | *lahyal |
| 1157. | fall | *fur |
| 1218. | land | **nɗoro |
| 1241. | meet | *tof |
| 1249. | open | *ɓwali |
| 1276. | put | *kin |