Tula–Waja languages


The Tula–Waja, or Tula–Wiyaa languages are a branch of the provisional Savanna languages, closest to Kam, spoken in northeastern Nigeria. They are spoken primarily in southeastern Gombe State and other neighbouring states.
They were labeled "G1" in Joseph Greenberg's Adamawa language-family proposal and later placed in a Waja–Jen branch of that family.
Guldemann observes significant internal lexical diversity within Tula-Waja, partly as a result of word tabooing accelerating lexical change. Although noun classes have been lost in Dadiya, Maa, and Yebu, Waja and Tula retain complex noun class systems. Kleinewillinghöfer also observes many morphological similarities between the Tula–Waja and Central Gur languages, a view shared by Bennett and Bennett & Sterk.

Languages

Ulrich Kleinewillinghöfer, in the Adamawa Languages Project website, classifies the Tula–Waja languages as follows. Kleinewillinghöfer considers Tso and Cham to be branches that had diverged earlier. Waja is considered by Kleinewillinghöfer to be a distinct branch, although its exact position within Tula-Waja remains uncertain.
;Tula–Waja
Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench.
LanguageDialectsAlternate spellingsOwn name for languageEndonymOther names Other names for languageExonymSpeakersLocation
Dijim–Bwilim7,545. ca. 20 villagesGombe State, Balanga LGA, Adamawa State, Lamurde LGA
DijimDijimsg Níi Dìjí pl. DìjímCham, Cam, Kindiyo,
BwilimBwilə́msg Níi Bwilí pl. Bwilə́mMwana, Mwona , Fitilai 4,282
DadiyaNda Dia, DadiaBwe Daddiya pl. DaddiyabNyíyò Daddiya3,986, 20,000.Gombe State, Balanga LGA, Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA and Adamawa State, Lamurde LGA. Between Dadiya and Bambam.
MaMa sg. nụbá Ma pl.nyii MaKamo, Kamu3000 Gombe State, Kaltungo and Akko LGAs
TsoboBәrbou, Guzubo, SwabouCibboTsóbónyi TsóLotsu–Piri, Pire, FireKitta2,000 Gombe State, Kaltungo LGA, Adamawa State, Numan LGA
TulaBaule, Wangke , YiriTureyii KituleNaba Kitule pl. Kitule19,209 ; 12,204 ; 19,000. ca. 50 villages ?100,000 est.Gombe State, Kaltungo LGA. Tula is 30 km. east of Billiri.
WiyaaPlain and HillsWaggaNyan WịyáùWịyáàWaja19,700 ; 50,000 Gombe State, Balanga and Kaltungo LGAs, Waja district. Taraba State, Bali LGA.
BangjingeNabang, Kaloh Bangunji, Bangunje, BangwinjiBáŋjìŋè sg. Báŋjìŋèb pl.nyii Bánjòŋ8000 CAPRO. 25 villages Gombe State, Shongom LGA
YebuYěbùNìín YěbùAwok2,035 Gombe State, Kaltungo LGA: 10 km northeast of Kaltungo