Pongu (Pangu), or Rin, is a Kainji language spoken in Nigeria. There are about 20,000 speakers. Their main centre is in Pangu Gari town of Niger State, about 20 kilometres southeast of Tegina.[2]

Pongu
Rin
Tə-rĩ
Native toNigeria
RegionNiger State
Native speakers
30,000 (2003)[1]
Dialects
  • Rin
  • Wəgə
Language codes
ISO 639-3png
Glottologpong1250
ELPPongu
Pongu (Rin)
PersonBwə-rĩ
PeopleA-rĩ
LanguageTə-rĩ

Clans

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There are 8 Rin clans. They speak slightly different but mutually comprehensible dialects.[2]

  • Ca-su
  • Ca-undu
  • A-sebi
  • Ca-gere = Ca-majere
  • A-baba = U-bwɔbwɔ
  • A-wusi = A-kwa
  • A-zhiga
  • A-waga = Awәgә

The Awәgә may have been a different ethnic group that was assimilated into the Rin group. Awәgә was a distinct language related to Rin, and used to be spoken in some villages to the east of Zungeru. However, today it is nearly extinct. Blench (2012) was able to record a semi-speaker in Dikko village, near Luwa town, Rafi LGA. Two fluent speakers were reported in Gidan Gambo, near Pongu Gari.[2]

Bibliography

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References

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  1. ^ Pongu at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b c Blench, Roger (2012). "The Kainji languages of northwestern and central Nigeria" (PDF). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.

Further reading

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