Warji language

{{Short description|Chadic language spoken in Nigeria}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Warji

|altname=Sirzakwai

|states=Nigeria

|region=Bauchi State

|speakers={{sigfig|75000|2}}

|date=2022

|ref=e27

|script=Latin

|familycolor=Afro-Asiatic

|fam2=Chadic

|fam3=West Chadic

|fam4=Bade–Warji

|fam5=Warji languages (B.2)

|iso3=wji

|glotto=warj1253

|glottorefname=Warji

}}

Warji (Warjawa) or Sirzakwai is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Speakers are shifting to Hausa.

Distribution

Warji is spoken in:

Morphology

Within the Bade–Warji languages, Warji has the most complex nominal plural marking system.Blench, Roger. 2021. [https://www.academia.edu/46654471/The_erosion_of_number_marking_in_West_Chadic The erosion of number marking in West Chadic Roger Blench]. WOCAL, Leiden. Plurals are marked by the following suffixes.Blench, Roger [http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Afroasiatic/Chadic/West/Warji/Sirzakwai%20dictionary.pdf Wordlist of the Sirzakwai (Warji) language with Hausa and English equivalents].

  • -tsǝ
  • -sA (-, -sa)
  • -Aŋsǝ (-ǝŋsǝ, -aŋsǝ)
  • -(aŋ)ʃi (-shi, -aŋshi; stem-final -i is assimilated)

These may be all allomorphs of a single suffix, with optional inserted nasals.

Suppletive nominal plurals are:

class="wikitable"

! English !! singular !! plural

childŋaamǝru
girlŋaagǝɗmǝrǝgudi
womangǝɗguɗi
manmumwanmumwanci
human beingwarjizarsǝ

Notes

{{Reflist}}

{{Languages of Nigeria}}

{{West Chadic languages}}

Category:Languages of Nigeria

Category:West Chadic languages