Bade (also spelled Bede, Bedde, or Bode) is a West Chadic language spoken by the Bade people in Yobe State and Jigawa State, Nigeria. Their traditional ruler is the Emir of Bade. Similar to many other Western African languages, Bade is a vulnerable language at great risk of extinction.[2] With 356,000 speakers,[3] the language and the culture of the Bade people have suffered over the last several years. As the language continues to fade, the culture and historic value associated with the language perishes as well. The local dialect is shifting from Bade to Hausa.[3] Across West Africa, the impact on local communities through the loss of the indigenous tongues will be significant. The endangerment of the Bade language represents the worldwide language diversity that is at risk.[4] Many African languages have only received little linguistic attention, impacting these African languages.[5]

Bade
Gabaden
Native toNigeria
RegionYobe State, Jigawa State
Native speakers
360,000 (2020)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3bde
Glottologbade1248
ELP

Classification

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Bade is classified under the following categories: Afro-Asiatic, Chadic, West, B, B.1, Bade Proper.[3]

History

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While historical information about the Bade language is limited in scope, many words in the Bade language take root in the Kanuri language.[6] The Kanuri language is primarily spoken in West Africa, including: Nigeria and Chad. Bade and Ngizim have borrowed a number of words from the Kanuri language.[6] According to traditional accounts, the Bade language itself originates from the Badr of Yemen and Muhammad purportedly drove the Bade people out after a failure to pray.[6] Currently, as one of the many Nigerian endangered languages, bade serves as a local dialect. In general, Nigerian languages comprise the wealth of linguistic diversity that exists in the country.[7] Over the years, colonization has also played a role in the deteroriation of local languages, which Bade happens to be among, that for now, most of the Bade villages are becoming Hausa speaking villages.[8]

Geographic distribution

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The speakers of the Bade language are centered in Nigeria. It is spoken in the northern part of Yobe State, Nigeria.[9]

Official status

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The language is not the official language of Nigeria or any other country.

Dialects/varieties

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There are three dialects of the Bade language that coincide with regions:[3]

  • Gashua Bade (Mazgarwa)
  • Southern Bade (Bade-Kado)
  • Western Bade (Amshi, Maagwaram, Shirawa)

Phonology

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Most West Chadic languages have a similar consonant inventory separated into eight major groups: labialized laryngeal, laryngeal, labialized velar, velar, lateral, alveopalatal, alveolar, and labial.[10] In the Bade/Ngizim languages, the glottal stop plays no role, but the vowel hiatus relies on elision and coalescence. The sounds also feature a "yawning" and has a shift from fricative to stop.[10]

Consonants

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Labial Alveolar Post-alv./
Palatal
Velar Glottal
plain lateral plain lab. plain lab.
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Stop/
Affricate
voiceless p t t͡ʃ k
voiced b d d͡ʒ ɡ ɡʷ
prenasal ᵐb ⁿd ⁿd͡ʒ ᵑɡ ᵑɡʷ
implosive ɓ ɗ ɗ̠ʲ
Fricative voiceless f s ɬ ʃ h
voiced v z ɮ ʒ ɦ ɦʷ
Rhotic r ɽ
Approximant l j w (ˀj)
  • /r/ may also be heard as a flap [ɾ].
  • /ɗ̠ʲ/ may also be heard as [ˀj].[10]

Vowels

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Front Central Back
Close i ɨ u
Mid
Open a

Grammar

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The grammar for the Bade language is consistent with the Ngizim language.[10]

Morphology and syntax

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The Bade/Ngizim languages slightly differ from other Chadic languages.[10] Bade and Ngizim have long vowels in closed syllables. Mid vowels also have a restricted use compared to other vowels. Mid vowels will rather appear as loanwords from other languages.[10] The language preserves diphthongs in both native and loanwords.

Vocabulary

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The Bade language has strong influence from the Kanuri language. There are many loanwords from Kanuri to West Chadic languages, including Bade.[11] Bade is commonly grouped with the Ngizim language. As an example, the word "healthy" is nga in the Kanuri language and ngā in the Ngizim language.[11] More recently, the Hausa language has influenced the Bade language.[12]

Fish names

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Below are some fish names of the Hadejia-Nguru wetlands in Bade, along with their Hausa and Manga Kanuri equivalent names. Note that many of the species have not been observed recently, due to the drying up of the region.[13]

Scientific name English Bade Hausa Manga Kanuri Present in 2003?
fish (general) Vunakon kíífíí búnì
kur cibil ?
awgirin kanze
amimiwal kúr̃úƙúllìì
Hepsetus odoe African pike njig duwaŋ kiribuni No
Labeo coubie African carp No
Synodontis spp. catfish ƙùrúngùù No
Citharinus citharus, Citharinus latus lutefish kalafan báánàà palewal No
Hemichromis bimaculatus, Hemichromis fasciatus jewelfish bakar
Heterotis niloticus bonytongue ufdakon, ebugancen bárgìì baya Yes
Mormyrus macrophthalmus patima kururun burar buzu
Labeo senegalensis African carp gadabdan búrdòò bәskәm No
Marcusenius ihyuysi gulen dagari lamsa Yes
Epiplatys spp., Aplocheilichthys spp. killifish/panchax, toothed carp ak dakwan dankya, akunu
Barbus spp. buk zәmәn digila, bakin burdo bәskәm, cilim only seen near Geidam
Brycinus leuciscus African tetras wasan dindukuri mәɗi No
Oreochromis aureus (formerly Tilapia aurea) tilapia kafakun duguru kawowo Yes
Parachanna obscura snakehead mudugun dúmnóó dumno No
Clarias submarginatus catfish dundin
Clarotes sp. ? ? dùrùdúrùù
Labeo sp. African carp ɗán dáátàà
Citharinus citharus, Citharinus latus lutefish fàlfàl fálfàl
Sarotherodon galileus (formerly Tilapia galilaea) tilapia kafakun heta fárín wala holo Yes
Protopterus annectens lungfish ambun gáìwáá ambu Yes
Heterobranchus bidorsalis mәsan gara raka (?) ?
Polypterus spp. bichir fish awiɗon gàrgázáá, garza bàràkádí No
Lates niloticus Nile perch kaɓәlin gííwár̃ rúwááɓáríyàà ɓariya No
Mormyrus isidori ? hààlàɓà
Clarias sp. catfish aalan jàríí ari Yes
Brycinus macrolepidotus African tetras ? kándáurákàà ? No
Ichthyborus besse ? but cf. ‘otter’ kàren rúwáá
Tilapia spp. tilapia ɗiɗikir kárfásáá Yes
Distichodus spp. grasseater kaskasan káwsàà cihaki
Tetraodon fahaka pufferfish kuɗiɗin mәfkәtәn, məkfətən kómbání kube No
Dasyatis garouaensis dotted ray wurjik duwan kunaman rúwáá
Mormyrus rume elephantsnout fish, trunkfish lámsàà
Parailia pellucida kalapar lapar lapar Yes
Schilbe spp. butter catfish ganun lûlúú mai kaya lulu
Chrysichthys sp. mai barewa
Tilapia zilii tilapia kafakun suk jijin mai gidan gaci karfasa shuri kawowo Yes
Heterobranchus spp. ? mài leemu ?
Malapterurus electricus electric catfish mjaŋ, njan mínjíryáá muu Yes
Bagrus filamentosus silver catfish mumfal [?]
Bagrus bayad, Bagrus docmak silver catfish masamanin múskòò mazambale Yes
Marcusenius cyprinoides takɗo paya paya No
Alestes baremoze African tetras zantarin saaron sááróó saraŋ No
Oreochromis niloticus (formerly Tilapia nilotica) tilapia andalon sakiya kawowo Yes
Mormyrus sp. sááwáyàà
Siluranodon auritus ? sháŋsháŋ (given as Synodontis sp. in other sources) ?
Clarias sp. catfish mәsan tárwáɗáá bigiri Yes
Marcusenius abadii kurinyin táátàr̃ lamsa Yes
Campylomormyrus tamandua tәrwәn, sawayen tola, kánzáyíí tólà, sawaya Yes
Hydrocynus vittatus tigerfish dlayad, dleyal, jik duwan tságíí jay No
Brycinus nurse African tetras zharwon, saron ƙááwàráá deda No
Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus, Chrysichthys auratus dumdumi, gajakan ƙàrááyáá ŋgaya Yes
Auchenoglanis occidentalis, Auchenoglanis biscutatus catfish kazhakat yàuníí ŋgaya Yes
Gymnarchus niloticus mәzәman zááwàà kaaz No

Writing system

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The Bade language uses a Latin script writing script.[3]

Bade alphabet[14]
Ə A B Ɓ C D Ɗ E F G H I J K L M N Ŋ O P R S T U V W Y ʼY Z
ə a b ɓ c d ɗ e f g h i j k l m n ŋ o p r s t u v w y ʼy z

The letter R̃ is only used in the Gashua dialect.

References

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  1. ^ Bade at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)  
  2. ^ Blench, R. (2007), Endangered Languages[full citation needed]
  3. ^ a b c d e Ethnologue: Languages of the World (unknown ed.). SIL International.[This citation is dated, and should be substituted with a specific edition of Ethnologue]
  4. ^ Whalen, D.H. (2012). "Endangered language families". Language. 88: 155–173. doi:10.1353/lan.2012.0012. hdl:10125/5017. S2CID 143898338.
  5. ^ Lupke, Friederike (2009). "At the margin - African Endangered Languages in the Context of Global Endangerment Discourses" (PDF). African Research & Documentation. 109: 15–41. doi:10.1017/S0305862X00016472. S2CID 142849572.
  6. ^ a b c Schuh, R.G. (2003). "The linguistic influence of Kanuri on Bade and Ngizim" (PDF). Maiduguri Journal of Linguistic and Literary Studies: 55–89 – via aflang.linguistics.ucla.edu.
  7. ^ Brann, Conrad Max Benedict (December 1993). "Democratisation of Language Use in Public Domains in Nigeria". The Journal of Modern African Studies. 31 (4): 639–656. doi:10.1017/S0022278X00012283. ISSN 0022-278X. S2CID 155020713.
  8. ^ Novak, Amy (2008). "Who speaks? Who listens?: The problem of address in two Nigerian trauma novels". Studies in the Novel. 40 (1–2): 31–51. doi:10.1353/sdn.0.0013. S2CID 49386578.
  9. ^ Schuh, Russell (2009). "The Ngizim Language". aflang.linguistics.ucla.edu. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Schuh, Russell (2002). "Overview of Bade/Ngizim of Phonology" (PDF). aflang.linguistics.ucla.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 August 2017.
  11. ^ a b Schuh, Russell (2002). "The Phonology and Morphology of Bade and Ngizim". aflang.linguistics.ucla.edu. Archived from the original on 20 March 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  12. ^ Schuh, Russell (1997). "Changes in Obstruent Voicing in Bade/Ngizim" (PDF). aflang.linguistics.ucla.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 August 2018.
  13. ^ Blench, Roger (8 April 2020). "Changing fisheries ecology in the Hadejia-Nguru wetlands" (PDF). Roger Blench. Draft. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 November 2023.[self-published source?]
  14. ^ Dagona & Schuh 2009, p. vii.

Sources

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Further reading

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