Ron (Run; also known as Challa, Chala) is an Afro-Asiatic language cluster spoken in Plateau State, Nigeria. Dialects include Bokkos, Daffo-Mbar-Butura (incl. Mangar), Monguna/Manguna (Shagau), (20,000 speakers).[1] Blench (2006) considers these to be separate languages.[2]

Ron
Ron
Native toNigeria
RegionPlateau State
Native speakers
230,000 (2020)[1]
Dialects
  • Bokkos
  • Mbar
  • Daffo-Butura
  • Shagawu
  • Maleni
  • Manguna
  • Nafunfia
Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3cla
Glottologronn1241  Ron
mang1417  Mangar
Butura dancers during the Nawhai Festival in Bokkos.

Varieties

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Blench (2019) lists these language varieties in the Ron (Run) cluster:[3]

  • Bokkos
  • Mbar
  • Daffo–Butura
  • Manguna(Shagau)
  • Mangar
  • Sha
  • Butura

Daffo-Mbar-Butura is spoken in Hottom, Maiduna, Hurum, Fanga, Kandik, Faram, Mandung, Mayi, and Josho villages.[4]

Manguna (Shagau) is spoken in Manguna, Mahurum, Hurti, Gwande, Dambwash and Karfa

Curiosity

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Although modern Ron uses a decimal system, it is well attested that in the past a duodecimal counting system was used.[5]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Ron at Ethnologue (27th ed., 2024)  
  2. ^ Blench, 2006. The Afro-Asiatic Languages: Classification and Reference List (ms)
  3. ^ Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
  4. ^ Blench, Roger M. 2003. Why reconstructing comparative Ron is so problematic. In Wolff, Ekkehard (ed.), Topics in Chadic linguistics: papers from the 1st biennial international colloquium on the Chadic language family (Leipzig, July 5-8, 2001), 21-42. Köln: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag.
  5. ^ Dr. Uwe Seibert, Summer Institute of Linguistics and University of Jos, Nigeria, March 1, 1999: Ron Numerals

References

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  • Uwe Seibert. 1998. Das ron von Daffo (Jos-Plateau, zentralnigeria): Morphologische, syntaktische und textlinguistische strukturen einer westtschadischen sprache. European University Series, Asian and African Studies 27. Berlin: Peter Lang.
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