Adamawa (languages)

Both the external and internal classification of adamawa languages ​​is complicated by the fact that these languages ​​continue to be one of the least studied languages ​​in Africa . In the 1910s - 1930s, the German scientist D. Westerman attributed the languages ​​of Adamawa to Sudanese languages, along with languages ​​that in modern classifications include Chadian , Kordofan and Nilo-Saharan families ^[8] . According to the studies of the American linguist J. Greenberg of the mid-20th century (1955), the Adamawa languages , together with the Ubangian languages, constituted the Adamaua-Eastern family of languages included in the Nigero-Congolese macro family . Later, the common name of this family became “Adamava-Ubangi languages” (suggested in 1971 by the American researcher U. Samarin) ^{[2] [9]} .

In accordance with the classification of the Adamawa-Ubangian languages ​​given by J. Greenberg, 14 language branches were allocated to the Adamawa subfamily, some of which are represented by only one language ^[7] :

1. Cham , Mona , Tula , Dadiya , Wajja , Kama , Avak ;
2. Chamba , Donga , Lecon , Oom , Mumbak , Ndagam ;
3. daka , taram ;
4. fool , uyera , namchi , kolbil , papa , sari , seva , uoko , kotopo , kutin ;
5. Kumba , Mumuye , Hengle , Subject , Oak , Yeandang , Zinn ;
6. mbum , queen , mono , mbere , mundang , yasing , mangbey , kpere , lacca , dek ;
7. Mboi , Yungur , or , Robe ;
8. kam ;
9. munga , nzangi (dzhen) ;
10. longuda ;
11. fali ;
12. nimbari ;
13. bois , nielim , coke ;
14. masa

In the future, the classification of J. Greenberg was repeatedly clarified. In particular, the Dai language ( R. Boyd , 1989) was included into the adamawa sub-family, and the Daco Dac and Tara languages, now considered Beno-Congolese, were excluded from its composition (the first to point to the proximity of the Dacoid branch to Congolese family, was P. P. Bennett, 1983) ^[10] . Meanwhile, the final unity of all branches of the languages ​​of Adamawa has not been established. So, for example, according to lexicostatistics data obtained in the studies of T. I. Anikina, A. V. Lyakhovich and A. Yu. Zheltova (2012), the Nyong languages ​​and the Adamawa groups of languages ​​closest to them have no more than 20-25% of the total basic vocabulary ^[4] .

According to one of the latest classifications, published in the article “Adamava-Ubangian Languages” by V. A. Vinogradov (“ Great Russian Encyclopedia ”), the Adamawa subfamily has 6 branches and 3 unclassified languages ( Oblo , Heve and La'bi ) ^{[2 ]} :

1. waja jen :
   • Vaja : Tula , Bangvindzhi , Vaja , Dadiya , Tsobo , Cham-mona (Didim-Bilim) , Kama , Avak ;
   • longuda ;
   • jen : lelau (munga-lelau) , doso (munga-doso) , jen (nzangi) , kyak , burak , makhdi , moo , lo , poppy , tha ;
   • Yungur : Mboi , or (Kaan) , Roba (Lala-Roba) , Yungur (Voro-Bena) ;
2. leko-nimbari :
   • Leko :
     • chamba : leko , mumbake (ndagam, nyong) , dong ;
     • vom , poked ;
   • fool :
     • dupa , dii , papa , sari ;
     • blew ;
     • namsi (doyayo, seva) , hymn , hyme , coma , faith (com django) , voko (longto) , re (kotopo, kutin) ;
   • nimbari ;
   • mumuye yandang :
     • hengle , kumba , mumuye ( rank , pangseng , zinn ), waka , subject ;
     • yandang , kpasam-bali , kugama ;
3. mum-dai :
   • mbum : kare , karang , nzakambay , pan , kuo , dame , ndai , mono , mambai (mangbay) , mundang , tupuri , mbum , dek , varnish , pam ;
   • Bois : Bois , Bolgo , Bon Hum , Gula Iro , Coke , Nyelim , Noah , Tunya , Zana Gula , Fanya ;
   • kim : besme , gundo , kim (masa) ;
   • give ;
4. fali ;
5. kam ;
6. kva (ba) .

In the classification of R. Blench , 15 linguistic branches and the unclassified language of the language are given, and also a possible relationship with the languages ​​of Adamas of the isolated language Laal is mentioned. The groups of the subfamily Adamava include the Wadja , Bikwin-Jen , Baa (Kwa) , Yungur , Longuda , Mumuye-Yendang , Nyimoma (Kam) , Leeko , Fool , Mbum , Fali , Nimbari , Dai , Boi and Kim groups . According to R. Blench, the fali languages, most likely, do not belong to the subfamily Adamawa ^[3] .

In the classification presented in the Ethnologue world language reference book, the subfamily Adamawa is divided into 8 language branches: fali , hueve (gay) , kam , qua , la'bi , leko-nimbari , mbum-dai , waja-jen and unclassified obo language ^{[1 ]} .

In the classification published in the languages ​​of the world , the languages ​​of Adamawa do not represent genetic unity and are included in various groups of the northern branch of the Volta-Congolese family - Buk-kim-dai, Cameroon-Ubangian, Gur and Kam ^[11] .

According to the recently revised external classification of the languages ​​of adamava, the language associations adamawa, gbaya , and ubangi do not form a genetic community and are separate families in the niger-congolese macro family. This view was justified, in particular, in the work of I. Monyino (2012). According to one of the hypotheses, the languages ​​of adamava are combined with the languages ​​of the gur into the savanna language family . Together with the languages Senufo , Ubangi-Gbaya, and Kru, savanna languages ​​form the linguistic branch of the northern volts, or the western volta-congo of the niger-congolese macro family ^[4] .

• Blench R. The Adamawa Languages (English) (pdf). Cambridge: Roger Blench Website. Publications (2004). Archived November 7, 2017. (Checked November 7, 2017)
• Adamawa (English) (html). MultiTree: A Digital Library of Language Relationships (2009). Archived November 7, 2017. (Checked November 7, 2017)
• Kleinewillinghöfer U. Adamawa Language Groups (English) (html). Mainz: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz (2014). Archived November 7, 2017. (Checked November 7, 2017)