Tula–Waja languages

The Tula–Waja, or Tula–Wiyaa languages are a branch of the provisional Savanna languages, closest to Kam (Nyingwom), spoken in northeastern Nigeria. They are spoken primarily in southeastern Gombe State and other neighbouring states.

They were labeled "G1" in Joseph Greenberg's Adamawa language-family proposal and later placed in a Waja–Jen branch of that family.

Guldemann (2018) observes significant internal lexical diversity within Tula-Waja, partly as a result of word tabooing accelerating lexical change. Although noun classes have been lost in Dadiya, Maa, and Yebu, Waja and Tula retain complex noun class systems. Kleinewillinghöfer (1996) also observes many morphological similarities between the Tula–Waja and Central Gur languages, a view shared by Bennett (1983) and Bennett & Sterk (1977).

Languages

Awak: Awak (Yebu), Kamo
Cham–Mona: Dijim-Bwilim, Tso
Dadiya
Tula: Bangwinji, Tula, Waja

Classification

Ulrich Kleinewillinghöfer (2014), in the Adamawa Languages Project website, classifies the Tula–Waja languages as follows. Kleinewillinghöfer considers Tso and Cham to be branches that had diverged earlier. Waja is considered by Kleinewillinghöfer to be a distinct branch, although its exact position within Tula-Waja remains uncertain.

Tula–Waja

Core Tula group
- Tula
  - Kutule
    - Wange
    - Baule
  - Yiri (Yili)
- Dadiya (local variants)
- Bangwinji
  - Kaalo
  - Naabaŋ
Yebu (Awak) (local variants)
Ma (Kamo, Kamu)
Cham
- Dijim of Kindiyo
- Bwilim (of Mɔna and Loojaa)
Tso (Lotsu-Piri)
- Tso of the Swaabou
- Tso of the Bərbou
  - Tso of the Gusubo
  - Tso of Luuzo
Waja
- Waja of Wɩɩ (Wajan Kasa) (local variants)
- Waja of Deri (Wajan Dutse) (two variants)