# Ninzic languages

The dozen or so Ninzic languages are a branch of the Plateau family spoken in central Nigeria.

## Classification

There is little data on the Ninzic languages, and it is not clear that all of the following languages are related. Blench (2008) lists the following languages, twice as many as Greenberg 1963 ("Plateau IV"). They are not subclassified apart from a few obvious dialect clusters.
    Ce (Che, Rukuba), Ninzo (Ninzam), Mada, Ninkyop (Kaninkwom)–Nindem, Kanufi (Anib), Gwantu (Gbantu), Bu-Ninkada (Bu), Ningye, Nungu, Ninka, Gbətsu, Nkɔ
and perhaps Ayu.

## Names and locations

Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).
| Language | Cluster | Dialects | Alternate spellings | Own name for language | Endonym(s) | Other names (location-based) | Other names for language | Speakers | Location(s) |
| Anib | | | Kanufi | Anib | Aninib | | Karshi | 2000 (est. 2006) | Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA. Anib is spoken in two villages about 5 km. west of Gimi, the junction on the Akwanga road which leads towards Kafanchan. Kanufi I is locally called Ákpúrkpòd, and Kanufi II called Ákob. |
| Bu-Ningkada cluster | Bu-Ningkada | Jida, Abu, Raga (dialect of Abu) | Jidda, Ibut | | | | Nakare | | Nasarawa State, Akwanga LGA |
| Bu | Bu-Ningkada | | | | | | | | |
| Ningkada | Bu-Ningkada | | | | | | | | |
| Che | | | Ce | Kuche | Bache | Rukuba | Sale, Inchazi | 15,600 (1936 HDG); 50,000 (1973 SIL) | Plateau State, Bassa LGA |
| Mada | | Northern and Western clusters. Dialect survey results in Price 1991). | | | Mәda | | Yidda | 25,628 (1922 Temple); 15,145 (1934 Ames); 30,000 (1973 SIL) | Nasarawa State, Akwanga, Kokona and Keffi LGAs; Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA |
| Ninkyop–Nindem cluster | Ninkyop–Nindem | | | | | | | | Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA |
| Ninkyop | Ninkyop–Nindem | | Kaningkwom, Kaninkon | | Ninkyop, Ninkyob | | | 2,291 (1934) | |
| Nindem | Ninkyop–Nindem | | Inidem, Nindam, Nidem | | | | | | |
| Ningye | | | Ningeshe | Ningye | Ningye | | | <5000 (Blench 2003) | Kaduna State. 5 villages along the Fadan Karshe-Akwanga road, directly north of Gwantu. Villages are: Kobin, Akwankwan, Wambe, Ningeshen Kurmi, Ningeshen Sarki. |
| Ninka | | | | | | Sanga | | <5000 | Kaduna State, Sanga LGA |
| Ninzo | | Ámàr Ràndá, Ámàr Tìtá, Ancha (Închà), Kwásù (Ákìzà), Sàmbè, Fadan Wate (Hátè) | Ninzam, Ninzom | | | | Gbhu | 6,999 (1934 Ames); 35,000 (1973 SIL) 50,000 (Blench 2003) | Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA; Nasarawa State, Akwanga LGA |
| Numbu–Gbantu-Nunku–Numana cluster | Numbu–Gbantu-Nunku–Numana cluster | | | | | Sanga [mistakenly applied to this cluster, but see entry under Ninka] | | 11,000 (1922 Temple); 3,818 (1934 Ames); 15,000 (SIL) | Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA; Nasarawa State, Akwanga LGA |
| Numbu | Numbu–Gbantu-Nunku–(Numana)–cluster | | | | | | | The main settlements of the Numbu are àzà Wúùn, Ambεntɔ̀k, Anepwa, Akoshey, Amkpong, Gbancûn, Amfɔɔr and Adaŋgaŋ. There are likely several thousand speakers. | Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA; Nasarawa State, Akwanga LGA |
| Gbantu | Numbu–Gbantu-Nunku–(Numana)–cluster | | Gwanto | | | | | | Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA; Nasarawa State, Akwanga LGA |
| Nunku | Numbu–Gbantu-Nunku–(Numana)–cluster | Nunku has three sub-dialects, Nunku [spoken in Nunku and Ungwar Mallam], Nunkucu [in Nunkucu and Anku] and a sub-dialect spoken in Nicok (Ungwar Jatau) and Ungwan Makama villages. | | | | | | | Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA; Nasarawa State, Akwanga LGA |
| Numana | Numbu–Gbantu-Nunku–(Numana)–cluster | | Nimana | | | | | | Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA; Nasarawa State, Akwanga LGA |
| Rindre | | Rindre, Gudi | Rendre, Rindiri, Lindiri | | | Wamba, Nungu | | 10,000 (1972 Welmers); 25,000 (SIL) | Nasarawa State, Akwanga LGA |
| Ayu | | | Aya | | | | | 2,642 (Ames 1934) | Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA |
| Gbǝtsu | Mada | | | | | Katanza | | 5000 (2008 est.) | Kaduna State, Jema’a LGA. About six villages east of the road north of Akwanga |
| Nko | Mada | | | | | Agyaga | | 1000 (2008 est.) | Nasarawa State, Akwanga West LGA. Single village about 15 km southwest of Nunku, which is 20 km north of Akwanga |

## Footnotes

* ↑ Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.