Kwah language

{{Short description|Niger–Congo language spoke in Nigeria}}

{{For|the Indian language also known as Ba|Aka-Bo language}}

{{distinguish|Kwa languages|Kwaʼ language}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Kwah

|altname=Baa

|nativename=nyaa Báà

|states= Nigeria

|region=Numan LGA, Adamawa State

|speakers=7,000

|date=1992

|ref=e18

|familycolor=Niger-Congo

|fam2=Atlantic–Congo

|fam3=Savannas

|fam4=(unclassified)

|dia1=Gyakan

|dia2=Kwa

|iso3=kwb

|glotto=kwaa1262

|glottorefname=Baa

}}

{{Infobox ethnonym|person=raBáà|people=Báà|language=nyaa Báà|root=Báà}}

Kwah (Kwa), also known as Baa (BàːIdiatov, Dmitry, Mark Van de Velde, Tope Olagunju and Bitrus Andrew. 2017. [http://idiatov.mardi.myds.me/talks/2017_CALL_AdaGram_Survey_Results.pdf Results of the first AdaGram survey in Adamawa and Taraba States, Nigeria]. 47th Colloquium on African Languages and Linguistics (CALL) (Leiden, Netherlands).), is a Niger–Congo language of uncertain affiliation; the more it has been studied, the more divergent it appears. Joseph Greenberg counted it as one of the Bambukic languages of the Adamawa family. Boyd (1989) assigned it its own branch within Waja–Jen. Kleinewillinghöfer (1996) removed it from Waja–Jen as an independent branch of Adamawa. When Blench (2008) broke up Adamawa, Kwah became a provisional independent branch of his larger Savannas family.

Blench (2019) lists the locations of Baa as Gyakan and Kwa towns (located near Munga) in Numan LGA, Adamawa State, Nigeria. One Baa-speaking person (singular) is raBáà (sg.), and more than one would be Báà (pl.); the language is referred to by speakers as nyaa Báà.{{Cite book|title=An Atlas of Nigerian Languages|last=Blench|first=Roger|publisher=Kay Williamson Educational Foundation|year=2019|edition=4th|location=Cambridge}} The Baa varieties in each of the two towns differ primarily in phonology.[https://www.blogs.uni-mainz.de/fb07-adamawa/baakwa-group/ Baa (Kwa)]. Adamawa Languages Project.

Baa traditional religion has two main deities, Gbandima and Kassimin.Möller Nwadigo, Mirjam. [http://llacan.vjf.cnrs.fr/AdaGram/baa.html Baa]. AdaGram.