# Jukunoid languages

The Jukunoid languages are a branch of the Benue-Congo languages spoken by the Jukun and related peoples of Nigeria and Cameroon. They are distributed mostly throughout Taraba State, Nigeria and surrounding regions.
Their asymmetrical nasal consonants are atypical for West Africa, as can be seen in Wapan.

## External relationships

Gerhardt (1983) and Güldemann (2018) suggest that Jukunoid may actually be part of the Plateau languages, as it shares similarities with various Plateau groups, especially Tarokoid. However, Blench (2005) argues that Jukunoid is clearly separate from Plateau.

## Classification

The following classification is from Glottolog; the Kororofa branch has been added from Ethnologue (Glottolog classifies the Kororofa languages as Jukun):
* Jukunoid
** Kuteb
** Central
*** Kpan–Icen
**** Etkywan (Icen)
**** Kpan
*** Jukun–Mbembe–Wurbo
**** Jukun
***** Jukun (Jukun Takum)
***** Jibu
***** Hõne
***** Wãpha
***** Jan Awei
**** Kororofa
***** Wannu
***** Wapan
***** Jiba
**** Mbembe (Tigon)
**** Wurbo
***** Como Karim
***** Jiru
***** Shoo-Minda-Nye
Ethnologue adds the Yukubenic branch of the Plateau languages as part of a Yukubenic-Kuteb group based on Shimizu (1980), and Blench also follows this classification. Ethnologue also leaves the Wurbo language Shoo-Minda-Nye as unclassified within Jukun–Mbembe–Wurbo, and includes the unclassified Benue–Congo language Tita in its place.
Lau was also recently reported by Idiatov (2017).

## Names and locations

Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).
| Language | Branch | Cluster | Dialects | Alternate spellings | Own name for language | Endonym(s) | Other names (location-based) | Other names for language | Exonym(s) | Speakers | Location(s) | Notes |
| Akum | | | | | | Anyar | | | | 3 villages in Nigeria; 600 in Cameroon (1976) | Taraba State, ca. 6°50N, 9°50E | |
| Bete | | | | | | | | | | 50 (2002) | Taraba State, Wukari LGA, Bete town | no data |
| Nyifon | | | | | | | | | Iordaa | 1000 (CAPRO n.d. but probably 1990s) | Buruku LGA, Benue State | no data |
| Jan Awei | | | | | Jan Awei | | | | | 12 ? (1997) | Gombe State, West of Muri mountains, North of the Benue (precise location unknown) | |
| Jukun cluster | | Jukun | | Njuku | | | Njikun | | | 35,000 (1971 Welmers); 1700 in Cameroon (1976) | Taraba State, Wukari, Takum, Bali and Sardauna LGAs; Nasarawa State, Awe and Lafia LGAs; Plateau State, Shendam and Langtang South LGAs; Benue State, Makurdi LGA; and in Furu-Awa subdivision, Cameroon | |
| Jibu | | Jukun | Gayam, Garbabi | | | | | | | 25,000 (1987 SIL) | Taraba State, Gashaka LGA | |
| Takum-Donga | | Jukun | Takum, Donga | | | | | Jibu | | Second language speakers only 40,000 (1979 UBS) | Taraba State, Takum, Sardauna and Bali LGAs | |
| Wase Tofa | | Jukun | | | | | | | | | Plateau State, Shendam and Langtang South LGAs | |
| Jukun–Mbembe–Wurbo group | Jukun–Mbembe–Wurbo | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Kororofa cluster | Jukun–Mbembe–Wurbo | Kororofa | | | | | Jukun | | | more than 62,000 (SIL) | | |
| Abinsi | Jukun–Mbembe–Wurbo | Kororofa | | | | Wapan | River Jukun | | | | Taraba State, Wukari LGA, at Sufa and Kwantan Sufa; Benue State, Makurdi LGA, at Abinsi | |
| Wapan | Jukun–Mbembe–Wurbo | Kororofa | | | Wapan | | Wukari and Abinsi | | | 60,000 (1973 SIL) | Taraba State, Wukari LGA; Nasarawa State, Awe and Lafia LGAs; Plateau State, Shendam and Langtang South LGAs (precise areas uncertain) | |
| Hone | Jukun–Mbembe–Wurbo | Kororofa | | | | | Kona | | | 2,000 (1977 Voegelin & Voegelin) | Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA; Plateau State, Wase LGA. Villages north and west of Jalingo | |
| Dampar | Jukun–Mbembe–Wurbo | Kororofa | | | | | | | | | Taraba State, Wukari LGA, at Dampar | |
| Mbembe Tigong cluster | Jukun–Mbembe–Wurbo | Mbembe Tigong | | | | Noale | Tigong, Tigun, Tugun, Tukun, Tigum | Akonto, Nzare | | 2,900 in Nigeria (1973 SIL) | Taraba State, Sardauna LGA; mainly in Cameroon | |
| Ashuku | Jukun–Mbembe–Wurbo | Mbembe Tigong | | Ashaku | | Ákә́tsә̀kpә́, Ákúcùkpú | | Kitsipki | | | | |
| Nama | Jukun–Mbembe–Wurbo | Mbembe Tigong | | Dama, Namu | Kporo | | | Nzare ‘I say so’; Eneeme | | | | |
| Shoo–Minda–Nye cluster | Wurbo | Shoo–Minda–Nye | May be related to Jessi spoken between Lau and Lankoviri | | | | | | | 10,000 (SIL) | Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA | |
| Shoo | Wurbo | Shoo–Minda–Nye | | Shóó | dàŋ Shóó | Nwii Shóó | | | Banda, Bandawa | | | |
| Minda | Wurbo | Shoo–Minda–Nye | | | | | Jinleri | | | | | |
| Nye | Wurbo | Shoo–Minda–Nye | | Nyé | Nyé | Nwi Nyé | | | Kunini | | | |
| Jiru | Wurbo | | | Zhiru | | | | Atak, Wiyap, Kir | | | Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA | |
| Etkywan | Kpan–Icen | | | Icen, Ichen, Itchen | Kentu, Kya)tõ, Kyanton, Nyidu | | | | | 6,330 in Donga district (1952 W&B); more than 7,000 (1973 SIL) | Taraba State, Takum and Sardauna LGAs | |
| Kpan | Kpan–Icen | | Western and Eastern groups: Western: 1 Kumbo–Takum Group: Kumbo (Kpanzon), Takum; 2 Donga (Akpanzhĩ; 3 Bissaula (extinct) Eastern: Apa (per Kilham), Kente, Eregba (per Koelle) | Kpanten, Ikpan, Akpanzhi, Kpanzon, Abakan | | | | Kpwate, Hwaye, Hwaso, Nyatso, Nyonyo, Yorda, Ibukwo | | | Taraba State, Wukari, Takum and Sardaunda LGAs | |
| Como–Karim | Wurbo | | | Shomoh, Shomong, Chomo, Shomo | | | Karim, Kirim | Kiyu, Nuadhu | | | Taraba State, Karim Lamido and Jalingo LGAs | |
| Tita | Wurbo | | | | | | | | | | Taraba State, Jalingo LGA, at Hoai Petel | Blench was not able to identify the people or the location, though Meek had data showing it to be Jukunoid. |

## Numerals

Comparison of numerals in individual languages:
| Classification | Language | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Jukun-Mbembe-Wurbo, Jukun | Hõne (Pindiga/Gwana) | zùŋ | pyèːnè | sáːré | nyẽ́ | sɔ́nɛ́ | sùnjé | sùnpyèːnè | hūnnè | sīnyáu | dùb |
| Jukun-Mbembe-Wurbo, Jukun | Jibu | zyun | pyànà | sàra | yina | swana | sùnjin | sùmpyànn | awùyin | ajunndúbi | dwib |
| Jukun-Mbembe-Wurbo, Jukun | Wapa (Wãpha) | zùŋ | pyĩ̀ | sā / sārā | nyìnā | swã̄nā | ʃẽ̀ʒí | sémpyè | sẽ̄sá | sínyáu | ádùb |
| Jukun-Mbembe-Wurbo, Kororofa | Jiba (Jibe / Kona) | zũ̀ː | pyèːnà | sàːr | nyè | són | sùnʒé | sùmpyèːnà | húhúnyè | zōrhōnnì | dùb |
| Jukun-Mbembe-Wurbo, Kororofa | Wapan Jukun | dzun | pyìnà | tsara | nyena | tswana | cìnjen / ʃìʒen (5+ 1) | tsùpyìn (5+ 2) | tsùntsa (5+ 3) | tsùnyò (5+ 4) | dzwe |
| Jukun-Mbembe-Wurbo, Mbembe | Tigon Mbembe | nzo | pya | sra | nyɛ | tʃwɔ́ | tʃwɔ́mbazo (5+ 1) | tʃwɔ́mbapya (5+ 2) | ɛ́nyɛnyɛ (2 x 4) ?? | tʃwɔ́mnyɛ (5+ 4) | dʒé |
| Yukuben-Kuteb | Akum | ájì | afã̀ | ata | aɲɪ̀ | acóŋ | acóŋ jì (5+ 1) | acóŋ afã̀ (5+ 2) | acóŋ ata (5+ 3) | acóŋ ɲì (5+ 4) | īkùr(ù) |
| Yukuben-Kuteb | Kapya | ūŋɡēmé | īfɡɔ̀ | ītà | īɲɨɪ̀ | ìtú | tú ŋɡì (5+ 1) | tú ófɡõ (5+ 2) | tú àtà (5+ 3) | tú īɲɨɪ̀ (5+ 4) | èbʲí / èbzí |
| Yukuben-Kuteb | Kuteb (Kutev) (1) | kínzō | ífaẽ | ítā | índʒē | ítsóŋ | ítsóŋ-ndʒō (5+ 1) | ítsóŋ-ífaẽ (5+ 2) | ítsóŋ-ítā (5+ 3) | ítsóŋ-ndʒē (5+ 4) | ridʒwēr |
| Yukuben-Kuteb | Kuteb (Kutev) (2) | kínzō | ifaen | itā | inje | itsóŋ | itsóŋ-nzō (5+ 1) | itsóŋ-faen (5+ 2) | itsóŋ-tā (5+ 3) | itsóŋ-nje (5+ 4) | rijwēr |
| Yukuben-Kuteb | Yukuben | kítə́ŋ | āpá(ŋ) | ātà, ārà | ēnzì | otòŋ | (ō)̄tòŋ kíhín (5+ 1) | (ō)̄tòŋ āpá (5+ 2) | (ō)̄tòŋ ātà / ārà (5+ 3) | (ō)̄tòŋ ēnzì (5+ 4) | kùr |