Chadic Languages

The Chadic languages constitute a language family of perhaps 150 languages spoken across northern Nigeria, southern Niger, southern Chad, Central African Republic and nortern Cameroon, belonging to the Afroasiatic phylum. The most widely spoken Chadic language is Hausa, a lingua franca of much of inland West Africa.

Newman (1977) divided the family into four groups, which have been accepted in all subsequent literature. The subbranching, however, is not as robust; Blench (2006), for example, only accepts the A/B bifurcation of East Chadic.

• West Chadic. Two branches, which include

(A) the Hausa, Ron, Bole, and Angas languages; and

(B) the Bade, Warji, and Zaar languages.

• Biu–Mandara (Central Chadic). Three branches, which include

(A) the Bura, Kamwe, and Bata languages, among other groups;

(B) the Buduma and Musgu languages; and

(C) Gidar

• East Chadic. Two branches, which include

(A) the Tumak, Nancere, and Kera languages; and

(B) the Dangaléat, Mukulu, and Sokoro languages

• Masa