# Ron languages

The Ron, Ronic or Ron–Fyer languages, group A.4 of the West Chadic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family, are spoken in Plateau State, north-central Nigeria.
The Ron languages have undergone extensive influence from Tarok.

## Languages

The Ron languages, and their tentative relationships, are:

### Ron

* Fyer, Tambas
* (branch)
** Central Ron
*** Daffo-Mbar-Butura
*** Bokkos
*** Monguna (Shagawu) [perhaps actually closer to Sha]
** Sha
** Mangar
** Mundat–Karfa
*** Mundat
*** Karfa (Duhwa)
** Kulere (Richa)
Blench (2019) groups the following in the (Central) Ron/Run dialect cluster: Bokkos, Mbar, Daffo–Butura, Manguna, Mangar, Sha.
While noting that Ron is in fact a complex linkage, Blench (2003) rejects two of the connections proposed in Seibert (1998) [Sha with Mundat–Karfa and Mangar with Kulere/Richa]:
* Northern: Fyer, Tambas
* Central: Bokkos, Daffo-Mbar-Butura, Monguna
* Western: Sha, Mundat, Karfa
* Southern: Richa, Mangar

## Names and locations

Below is a comprehensive list of Ron language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).
| Language | Cluster | Dialects | Alternate spellings | Own name for language | Other names (based on location) | Other names for language | Exonym(s) | Speakers | Location(s) |
| Fyer | | | Fier | | | | | 1,500 (1970); 10,000 (Blench 1999) | Plateau State, Mangu LGA |
| Karfa | | Shagau | Kerifa | Duhwa | Karfa | Duhwa | Challa | 800 (SIL 1973) | Plateau State, Bokkos LGA |
| Kulere | | Tof, Richa, Kamwai: the latter includes Marahai (Marhai) | | Akande (Kamwaĩ, Àkàndí (Tof), Kande (Richa) | Tof, Richa, Kamwai | Korom Ɓoye | | 6,500 (1925 Meek); 4,933 (1943 Ames); 8,000 (1973 SIL) | Plateau State, Bokkos LGA |
| Mundat | | Mundat | Ron | Mundat | Mundat | Mundat | | | Plateau State, Bokkos LGA |
| Shagawu | | | Shagau | | Anguna, Hurti, Ahurum, Ambwash, Gbwendeng, Nzuhwe (Duhwa) | Anguna Shagau | | 20,000 (SIL) | Plateau State, Bokkos LGA |
| Tambas | | | Tembis | | | | | 3,000 (SIL) | Plateau State, Pankshin LGA |
| Run cluster | Run | Bokkos and Daffo–Mbar-Butura are more closely related than Sha | Ron | Run | | | Challa, Cala, Chala, Challawa | 13,120 (1934 Ames); 60,000 (1985 UBS) | Plateau State, Bokkos LGA |
| Run Bokkos | Run | Bokkos, Baron | | Lis ma Run | Bokos | | Challa, Cala | | |
| Run Daffo–Mbar-Butura | Run | Daffa, Mbar, Butura | Ron | Alis I Run | Batura | Mbar-wuh | Challa | | |
| Manguna | Run | Manguna, Hurti, Dambwash, Mahurum, Gwande, Karfa(Duhwa) | Ron | Shagau | Anguna, Hurti, Duhwa, Agbwendeng, Ambwash, Ahurum | Anguna Shagau | Challa | 20,000 (SIL) | Plateau State, Bokkos LGA |
| Mangar | Run | | | | | | | | Plateau State, Bokkos LGA |
| Sha | Run | | | | | | | 500 (SIL); about 1,000 (1970 Jungraithmayr) | Plateau State, Bokkos LGA |

## Reconstruction

Since the Ron languages form a diverse linkage, Ron reconstruction is not straightforward due to the lack of neat sound correspondences. There are many borrowings from neighbouring Niger-Congo Plateau languages that Ron had assimilated or been in contact with.
Proto-Ron reconstructions by Roger Blench are as follows.
| No. | English | Proto-Ron |
| 1. | person | *naaf |
| 7. | friend | **mwin |
| 19. | name | *sum |
| 45. | flesh | *lo |
| 46. | head | *hay |
| 49. | bone | *kaʃ |
| 53. | ear | *kumu |
| 54. | nose | **atin |
| 57. | mouth | *fo |
| 59. | tongue | *liʃ |
| 61. | tooth | *haŋgor |
| 62. | molar | *ɓukum |
| 64. | chin | *njumut |
| 69. | throat | *goroŋ |
| 72. | breast (female) | *fofo |
| 73. | chest | *cin |
| 79. | navel | **mutuk |
| 83. | elbow | *kukwat |
| 91. | thigh | *for |
| 107. | saliva, spittle | *lyal |
| 110. | urine | *sar |
| 190. | I | *yin |
| 238. | crocodile | **haram |
| 1072. | blow (mouth) | *fuɗ |
| 1089. | call (summon) | *lahyal |
| 1157. | fall | *fur |
| 1218. | land | **nɗoro |
| 1241. | meet | *tof |
| 1249. | open (door) | *ɓwali |
| 1276. | put | *kin |

## Morphology

Plurals of nouns in Ron languages are typically formed with -a- infixes.