# Bikwin–Jen languages

The Bikwin–Jen or simply the Jen languages form a branch of the Adamawa family. They are spoken in and around Karim Lamido LGA (to the north of Jalingo LGA) in Taraba State, and in other nearby states of eastern Nigeria.
Bikwin-Jen may not necessarily be a coherent group. Due to the internal diversity of Bikwin-Jen, Guldemann (2018) suggests that Bikwin and Jen could form separate groups.

## Classification

Norton & Othaniel (2020) and Norton (2019) refer to Bikwin–Jen simply as Jen. Kleinewillinghöfer (2015) uses the name Bikwin–Jen.

### Kleinewillinghöfer (2015)

Kleinewillinghöfer (2015) classifies the Bikwin-Jen group as follows in the Adamawa Languages Project website.

#### Bikwin-Jen

* Bikwin
** Burak-Loo
*** Burak [ɓʋʋrak]
*** Loo [shʋŋɔ]
** Mak-Tal
*** Mak (LeeMak)
**** Panya
**** Zoo
*** Maɣdi (Tala)
** Bikwin (proper)
*** Leelau (Munga Leelau)
*** Mɔɔ (Gomu)
*** Kya̰k (Bambuka)
* Jen (Janjo)
** Dza
*** Dza (local variants)
*** Joole, Jaule
** Munga Doso
** Tha [θá]

### Norton & Othaniel (2020)

Classification of the Jen languages by Norton & Othaniel (2020):
Language names, ISO codes, and autonyms of the Jen languages (Norton & Othaniel 2020):
| ISO 639-3 code | Language name | Autonym(s) |
| bys | Burak | [ɓʊ̄ːrɑ̀k] |
| ldo | Loo (Shungo Galdemaru, Shungo Waamura, Tadam) | [ʃʊ̀ŋɔ́]; [lō] ‘head’ |
| gmd | Maghdi (Tala) | [mɑ̀kdī], [mɑ̂ɣdī] |
| pbl | Mak (Lee Mak) of Panya and Zoo | [mɑ̀k], [lè mɑ̀k] ‘they (of) Mak’ |
| bka | Kyak (Bambuka) | [kjɑ᷅ k̃ ] |
| gwg | Moo (Gomu) | [mɔ̄] |
| ldk | Leelau (Munga Leelau) | [lê ləù] ‘road (to) Lau’ |
| mko | Munga Doso | [mɨŋɡɑ̃ dɔsɔ] ‘river original’ |
| jen | Dza of Jen and Joole | [i-d͡zə] (d͡zə ‘reed plant sp.’) |
| thy | Tha (Joole Manga) | [ðə̀], [ɲwɑ́ ðɑ́] (ɲwɑ́ ‘mouth’) |
Norton & Othaniel (2020) also reconstruct more than 250 words for Proto-Jen.

### Norton (2019)

Jen cluster classification according to Norton (2019):
* Jen
* Burak, Loo
* Maghdi, LeeMak
* Kyak-Moo-LeeLau (Munga LeeLau)
* Tha (Joole Manga)
* Doso-Dza (Munga Doso; Dza-Joole)
Language varieties that are part of the Jen cluster according to Norton (2019):

#### Jen cluster

* Burak
* Loo of Galdemaru and Waamura
* Maghdi (Tala)
* Mak (LeeMak) of Panya and Zoo
* Kyãk (Bambuka)
* Moo (Gomu)
* LeeLau (Munga LeeLau)
* Munga Doso
* Dza (Jenjo) and Joole
* Tha (Joole Manga)

## Names and locations

Below is a list of language names, populations, and locations from Blench (2019).
| Language | Branch | Dialects | Alternate spellings | Own name for language | Endonym(s) | Other names (location-based) | Other names for language | Exonym(s) | Speakers | Location(s) |
| Tha | Bikwin-Jen | | | | | | | | | Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA and Adamawa State, Numan LGA. Joole Manga Dìdí village |
| Dza | Jen | | Dza, Ja | nnwa’ Dzâ | Èédzá, ídzà | Jenjo, Janjo, Jen | | | 6,100 (1952). Figures for Dza may include other Jen groups such as Joole and Tha (q.v.) | |
| Joole | Jen | | | èèʒìì | nwá èèʒìì | | | | | Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA and Adamawa State, Numan LGA. Along the Benue River. |
| Mingang Doso | Jen | | Munga | ŋwai Mәngàn | Mingang Doso | Dosọ | | | | Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA. 15 km. East of Karim Lamido town. One village and associated hamlets. |
| Burak | Bikwin | | | yu Ɓuurak pl. yele Ɓuurak | nyuwǎ Ɓúúrák | ‘Yele | | Shongom [name of an LGA] | 4,000 (1992 est.) | Gombe State, Shongom LGA, Burak town. 25 villages. A highly distinctive form is spoken in Tadam village. |
| Kyak | Bikwin | | | Kyãk | Kyãk | Bambuka | | | 10,000 (SIL) | Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA, Bambuka |
| Leelạu | Bikwin | | Lelo | | | Munga | | | One village and an associated hamlet | Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA. 15 km. East of Karim Lamido town. |
| Loo | Bikwin | | | Shúŋ̣ ó ̣ | Shúŋ̣ ó–̣ North, Shúŋ̣ ó–̣ South | | | | 8,000 (1992 est.) | Kaltungo LGA, Gombe State, Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA. 30 km. North of Karim Lamido town. Lo village and associated hamlets. |
| Maghdi | Bikwin | | | Mághdì | Mághdì sg., lee Mághdì pl. | | Widala also applies to Kholok | | Fewer than 2,000 (1992) | Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA. A section of the Widala |
| Mak | Bikwin | Panya, Zo | | Mak | LeeMak | Panya, Panyam (From Poonya, the name of a founding hero) Zoo | | | | Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA. 15 km. north of Karim Lamido town. |
| Mɔɔ | Bikwin | | | ŋwaa Mɔ́ɔ̀ | yáá Mɔ̀ɔ̀ | Gwomo, Gwom, Gwomu, Gomu | | | | Taraba State, Karim Lamido LGA |