View source for Savannas languages

{{Infobox language family
|name=Savannas
|altname=Gur–Adamawa
|region=West Africa, around [[Burkina Faso]] in the west to [[Central African Republic|CAR]] in the east
|familycolor=Niger-Congo
|fam2=[[Atlantic–Congo languages|Atlantic–Congo]]
|fam3=[[Volta–Congo languages|Volta–Congo]]
|glotto=nort3149
|glottorefname=North Volta–Congo
|children=most ex-[[Gur languages|Gur]], most ex-[[Adamawa languages|Adamawa]], possibly [[Ubangian languages|Ubangian]]:<br>
----
|child1=(Central) [[Gur languages|Gur]]
|child2=[[Tula–Waja languages|Waja]]–[[Nyingwom language|Kam]] (close to Gur)
|child3=[[Leko–Nimbari languages|Leko–Nimbari]] (close to Gur)
|child4=[[Kulango languages|Kulango]]
|child5=''[[Bariba language|Bariba]]''
|child6=''[[Vyemo language|Vyemo]]''
|child7=''[[Tiefo language|Tiefo]]''
|child8=[[Wara–Natyoro languages|Wara–Natyoro]]
|child9=''[[Tusya language|Tusya]] (Win)''
|child10=[[Mbum–Day languages|Mbum–Day]]
|child11=[[Bambukic languages|Bambukic]]
|child12=[[Gbaya languages|Gbaya]]
|child13=? [[Ubangian languages|Ubangian]]
|child14=? ''[[Kwah language|Baa]] (Kwa)''
|child15=? ''[[Oblo language|Oblo]]''
}}

The '''Savannas languages''', also known as '''Gur–Adamawa''' or '''Adamawa–Gur''', is a branch of the [[Niger–Congo languages]] that includes [[Joseph Greenberg|Greenberg's]] [[Gur languages|Gur]] and [[Adamawa–Ubangi languages|Adamawa–Ubangui]] families.

==History of classification==
The Gur–Adamawa link was demonstrated in Kleinewillinghöfer (1996)<ref>Kleinewillinghöfer, Ulrich. 1996. 'Relationship between Adamawa and Gur: The case of Waja.' ''Gur Papers / Cahiers Voltaiques'' 1.25–46.</ref> and has been accepted as established by later researchers, who have gone further in noting that the Adamawa and Gur languages themselves do not form coherent groups and are not necessarily more closely related internally than they are to each other.

Bennett (1983) had also mentioned a ''North Central Niger-Congo'' branch consisting of Gurunsi, "Ubangian", and Trans-Benue groups, with the ''Trans-Benue'' group consisting of the Burak-Jen (i.e., [[Bikwin-Jen languages|Bikwin-Jen]]), Yungur (i.e., [[Bena-Mboi languages|Bena-Mboi]]), and [[Tula–Waja languages|Tula]]-[[Longuda language|Longuda]] subgroups.<ref>Bennett, Patrick R. 1983. Adamawa-Eastern: problems and prospects. - in: Dihoff, I. R. (ed.) Current Approaches to African Linguistics. Vol. 1: 23-48.</ref>

There are several clusters of Adamawa languages; among the Gur languages, only the core of that proposal (Central Gur) has been retained, though it is possible that some of the 'peripheral' languages may turn out to be related to each other. Kleinewillinghöfer et al. (2012) note that a reconstruction of proto-Central Gur noun classes needs to include several Adamawa families.<ref>Miehe, Kleinewillinghöfer, von Roncador, & Winkelmann, 2012. "[http://llacan.vjf.cnrs.fr/fichiers/nigercongo/abstracts/Kleinewillinghoefer_miehe_von_winkelmann.pdf Overview of noun classes in Gur (II)]"</ref>

[[Senufo languages|Senufo]] (ex-Gur) and [[Fali languages|Fali]] (ex-Adamawa) are excluded from Savannas, as they appear to be some of the more divergent branches of Niger–Congo.

Dimmendaal (2008) excludes the [[Ubangi languages|Ubangian]] family from Niger–Congo altogether, stating that it "probably constitutes an independent language family that cannot or can no longer be shown to be related to Niger–Congo (or any other family)," though the Ubangian languages are themselves not a valid group, and the Gbaya branch may turn out to be related to Gur.

Apart from such exceptions, Dimmendaal notes that the Savanna languages "can be shown to be genetically related beyond any reasonable doubt. The evidence is not only lexical in nature, it is based primarily on a range of cognate grammatical morphemes."<ref>Gerrit Dimmendaal, 2008, "Language Ecology and Linguistic Diversity on the African Continent", ''Language and Linguistics Compass'' 2/5:841.</ref>

[[Roger Blench]] (2012)<ref>Blench, Roger. 2012. [http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Niger-Congo/General/Niger-Congo%20an%20alternative%20view.pdf Niger-Congo: an alternative view].</ref> considers Gur-Adamawa to be a [[language continuum]] ([[linkage (linguistics)|linkage]]) rather than an actual coherent branch.

Kleinewillinghöfer (2014) notes that many "Adamawa" languages in fact share more similarities with various (Central) [[Gur languages]] than with other Adamawa languages, and proposes that early Gur-Adamawa speakers had cultivated [[guinea corn]] and millet in a wooded savanna environment.<ref>Kleinewillinghöfer, Ulrich. 2014. [https://www.blogs.uni-mainz.de/fb07-adamawa/files/2018/06/ADAMAWA-Kleinewillinghoefer_04_02_2014.pdf Adamawa]. ‘Linguistisches Kolloquium’, Seminar für Afrikawissenschaften, 04 Februar 2014. Institut für Asien- und Afrikawissenschaften, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.</ref>

==Languages==
The Savannas languages, with an agnostic approach to internal classification, are as follows:

{{tree list}}
* Savannas&nbsp;
** (Central) [[Gur languages|Gur]]
** [[Kulango languages|Kulango]] (a.k.a. "Kulango–Lorhon": ex-Gur)
** ''[[Bariba language|Bariba]]'' (a.k.a. "Baatonũ": ex-Gur)
** ''[[Vyemo language|Vyemo]]'' (ex-Gur)
** ''[[Tiefo language|Tiefo]]'' (ex-Gur)
** [[Wara–Natyoro languages|Wara–Natyoro]] (ex-Gur)
** ''[[Tusya language|Tusya]]'' (a.k.a. "Win": ex-Gur)
** [[Chamba–Mumuye languages|Chamba–Mumuye]] a.k.a. Leko–Nimbari (ex-Adamawa: [[Leko languages|G2]], [[Duru languages|G4]], [[Mumuye–Yendang languages|G5]], [[Nimbari language|G12]])
** [[Mbum–Day languages|Mbum–Day]] (ex-Adamawa: [[Mbum languages|G6]], [[Bua languages|G13]], [[Kim languages|G14]], & ''[[Day language|Day]]'')
** [[Bambukic languages|Bambukic]] (ex-Adamawa: [[Bena–Mboi languages|G7]], [[Bikwin–Jen languages|G9]], [[Longuda language|G10]])
** [[Waja languages|Waja]]–[[Kam language (Nigeria)|Kam]] (ex-Adamawa: [[Waja languages|G1]], [[Kam language (Nigeria)|G8]])
** ? ''[[Baa language|Baa]]'' (a.k.a. "Kwa")
**  [[Gbaya languages|Gbaya]] (ex-Ubangian)
** ? [[Ubangian languages|Ubangian]]
** ? [[Zande languages|Zande]] (ex-Ubangian)
{{tree end}}

The moribund [[Oblo language]] was left unclassified within Adamawa, and has not been addressed in Savannas.

Kleinewillinghöfer et al. (2012) note that the reconstruction of the noun-class system indicates that Waja ('Tula–Waja') and Leko–Nimbari ('Sama–Duru') (and possibly other Adamawa groups) belong with Central Gur, and that the noun-class system they reconstruct for these languages is akin to those of Bantu, Senufo, Tiefo, Vyemo, Tusya, and "Samu".

===Güldemann (2018)===
Güldemann (2018) recognises the following coherent "genealogical units" (8 Gur, 14 Adamawa, and 7 Ubangi) but is agnostic about their positions within Niger-Congo.<ref name="Guldemann">{{Cite book|title=The Languages and Linguistics of Africa|last=Güldemann|first=Tom|editor-last=Güldemann|editor-first=Tom|publisher=De Gruyter Mouton|chapter=Historical linguistics and genealogical language classification in Africa|year=2018|isbn=978-3-11-042606-9|doi=10.1515/9783110421668-002|location=Berlin|pages=58-444|series=The World of Linguistics series|volume=11}}</ref>

{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
;[[Gur languages|Gur]] area
#[[Central Gur languages|(Central) Gur]]
#[[Kulango languages|Kulangoic]]
#''[[Miyobe language|Miyobe]]''
#[[Tiefo language|Tiefo]]
#''[[Viemo language|Viemo]]''
#[[Tusya language|Tusian]]
#[[Samo language (Burkina)|Samuic]]
#[[Senufo languages|Senufo]]
{{col-3}}
;[[Adamawa languages|Adamawa]] area
#[[Tula–Waja languages|Tula-Waja]]
#''[[Longuda language|Longuda]]''
#[[Bena-Mboi languages|Bena-Mboi]]
#[[Bikwin-Jen languages|Bikwin-Jen]]
#[[Duru languages|Samba-Duru]]
#[[Mumuye languages|Mumuyic]]
#[[Yendang languages|Maya]] (Yendangic)
#[[Mbum languages|Kebi-Benue]] (Mbumic)
#[[Kim languages|Kimic]]
#[[Bua languages|Buaic]]
#''[[Day language|Day]]''
#''[[Baa language|Baa]]'' = ''Kwa''
#''[[Nyingwom language|Nyingwom]]'' = ''Kam''
#''[[Fali languages (Cameroon)|Fali]]''
{{col-3}}
;[[Ubangian languages|Ubangi]] area
#[[Gbaya languages|Gbayaic]]
#[[Zande languages|Zandic]]
#[[Mba languages|Mbaic]]
#[[Ngbaka languages|Mundu-Baka]]
#[[Ngbandi languages|Ngbandic]]
#[[Banda languages|Bandaic]]
#[[Sere languages|Ndogoic]]
{{col-end}}

==Branches and locations (Nigeria)==
Below is a list of major Savannas (Adamawa) branches and their primary locations (centres of diversity) within Nigeria based on Blench (2019).<ref name="BlenchAtlas4">{{Cite book|title=An Atlas of Nigerian Languages|last=Blench|first=Roger|publisher=Kay Williamson Educational Foundation|year=2019|edition=4th|location=Cambridge}}</ref>


{| class="wikitable"
|+ '''Distributions of Adamawa branches in Nigeria'''<ref name="BlenchAtlas4"/>
! Branch !! Primary locations
|-
| [[Duru languages#Names and locations|Duru]] (Vere) || [[Fufore]] LGA, [[Adamawa State]]
|-
| [[Leko languages#Names and locations (Nigeria)|Leko]] || [[Adamawa State|Adamawa]] and [[Taraba State|Taraba]] States; [[Cameroon]]
|-
| [[Mumuye languages#Names and locations|Mumuye]] || [[Taraba State]]
|-
| [[Yendang languages#Names and locations|Yendang]] || [[Mayo Belwa]] and [[Numan, Nigeria|Numan]] LGAs, [[Adamawa State]]
|-
| [[Tula–Waja languages#Names and locations|Waja]] || [[Kaltungo]] and [[Balanga, Nigeria|Balanga]] LGAs, [[Gombe State]]
|-
| ''[[Kam language (Nigeria)|Kam]]'' || [[Bali, Nigeria|Bali]] LGA, [[Taraba State]]
|-
| ''[[Kwah language|Baa]]'' || [[Numan, Nigeria|Numan]] LGA, [[Adamawa State]]
|-
| ''[[Laka language (Nigeria)|Laka]]'' || [[Karim Lamido]] LGA, [[Taraba State]] and [[Yola, Adamawa|Yola]] LGA, [[Adamawa State]]
|-
| [[Bikwin–Jen languages#Names and locations|Jen]] || [[Karim Lamido]] LGA, [[Taraba State]]
|-
| [[Bikwin–Jen languages#Names and locations|Bikwin]] || [[Karim Lamido]] LGA, [[Taraba State]]
|-
| [[Bena–Mboi languages#Names and locations|Yungur]] || [[Song, Nigeria|Song]] and [[Guyuk, Nigeria|Guyuk]] LGAs, [[Adamawa State]]
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* Blench (2004) [http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Niger-Congo/AU/Adamawa%20language%20list.pdf List of Adamawa languages]
* [http://www.sil.org/silesr/abstract.asp?ref=2002-048 Rapid appraisal and lexicostatistical analysis surveys of Dama, Mono, Pam, Ndai and Oblo (PDF)] by Michael & Charlene Ayotte, 2002. SIL Electronic Survey Reports SILESR 2002-048.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050107014910/http://www.bondy.ird.fr/pleins_textes/pleins_textes_4/sci_hum/19379.pdf Vocabulaires comparés des instruments aratoires dans le Nord-Cameroun], Tourneaux
* [https://www.aai.uni-hamburg.de/afrika/adamawa-gur/ Adamawa-Gur languages]

{{Niger-Congo branches}}

[[Category:Volta–Congo languages]]
[[Category:Adamawa languages]]
[[Category:Gur languages]]