Jju (Tyap: Jhyuo; Hausa: Kaje, Kache) is the native language of the Bajju people of Kaduna State in central Nigeria. As of 1988, there were approximately 300,000 speakers. Jju is one of the Southern Kaduna languages. Although usually listed separately from the Tyap cluster, Jju's separation, according to Blench R.M. (2018), seems to be increasingly ethnic rather than a linguistic reality.
Distribution
Jju is spoken as a first language by the Bajju people in Zangon Kataf, Jema'a, Kachia, Kaura and Kaduna South Local Government Areas of Kaduna state. It is also spoken in neighbouring Atyap, Fantswam, Agworok, Ham, Adara, and other kin communities as a second or third language.
Phonology
Vowels
A few words also include the long vowels and.
Consonants
| Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Labial–velar | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | plain | ||||||||||
| tense | |||||||||||
| Stop | plain | ||||||||||
| tense | |||||||||||
| Affricate | plain | ||||||||||
| tense | |||||||||||
| Fricative | plain | ||||||||||
| tense | |||||||||||
| Rhotic | tap | ||||||||||
| tense | |||||||||||
| trill | |||||||||||
| Approximant | labial | ||||||||||
| lab. tense | |||||||||||
| central | |||||||||||
| tense | |||||||||||
- There is a tenseness distinction, which McKinney (1990) calls a fortis-lenis distinction. McKinney analyzes the fortis consonants as longer than lenis consonants.
- There is allophonic palatalization before front vowels and allophonic labialization before rounded vowels.
- Most consonants have a three-way contrast between plain, labialized, and palatalized.
- Aspiration may phonetically occur among stops.
- Tense stops may also be heard as affricates.
Numerals
| Numeral | Jju word |
|---|---|
| 1 | A̱yring |
| 2 | A̱hwa |
| 3 | A̱tat |
| 4 | A̱naai |
| 5 | A̱pfwon |
| 6 | A̱kitat |
| 7 | A̱tiyring |
| 8 | A̱ninai |
| 9 | A̱kumbvuyring |
| 10 | Swak |
| 11 | Swak bu a̱yring |
| 12 | Swak bu a̱hwa |
| 13 | Swak bu a̱tat |
| 14 | Swak bu a̱naai |
| 15 | Swak bu a̱pfwon |
| 16 | Swak bu a̱kitat |
| 17 | Swak bu a̱tiyring |
| 18 | Swak bu a̱ninai |
| 19 | Swak bu a̱kumbvuyring |
| 20 | Nswak nh|c |
| 30 | Nswak ntat |
| 40 | Nswak nnaai |
| 50 | Nswak npfwon |
| 60 | Nswak a̱kitat |
| 70 | Nswak a̱tiyring |
| 80 | Nswak a̱ninai |
| 90 | Nswak a̱kumbvuyring |
| 100 | Cyi |
| 1000 | Cyikwop |
Vocabulary
List of vocabulary relating to body parts.
- zwuoi - nose
- shog - cheek
- a̱kpukpa ka̱nu - lip
- zwuak - throat
- du̱ryem - tongue
- pffwa - neck
- ka̱dyet - chin
- ka̱hog - chest
- trang - beard
- ka̱wiyang - armpit
- du̱ccu - head
- a̱nyyi teeth
- tsuo mbvak - elbow
- ka̱ma - back
- du̱kkwat - back of head
- tak - leg
- ka̱hwa - stomach
- du̱kkwut - knee
- hun-tak - ankle
- gruang - shoulder
- ka̱nu - mouth
- kop - navel
- pffwo - ear
- du̱ssi - eye
- a̱cat - hair
- du̱byiang - breast
- ka̱ta̱ssi - forehead
- a̱ta̱ngbak - wrist
- ka̱ta̱ng-hurung bvak - finger
- bva̱k - hand