Central Plateau languages

The twenty Central Plateau languages are a residual branch of the Plateau family spoken in central Nigeria. Tyap (or Katab) has over 200,000 speakers, and the closely related Jju (or Kaje) has well over 300,000. Hyam (or Jabba) has another 100,000. Cori is famous for being one of very few languages with six tone levels, though only three are needed for writing.

Classification

The Central Plateau languages are a close geographical group with numerous connections; however, they are to some extent a residual group and may be a sprachbund. The following classification is taken from Blench (2008). A distinction between North Plateau and the rest of Central Plateau is possible but appears to be geographic; Gerhardt (1994) argues they belong together.

Each of the second-level bullets is a single language or dialect cluster and is obviously valid. However, most of the first-level groups (Hyamic, North Plateau, Gyongic, Koro) are not self-evident and may continue to be revised.

Rigwe (Irigwe)
Izeric
- Izere: NE & NW Izere, Cèn, Ganàng
- Fəràn (Firan) – clearly related to Izere
Tyapic
- Tyap (Katab): Tyap proper, Gworok, Takat (Attakar), Tyecha̱rak (Kacecere), Sholyia̱ (Sholio), Fantswam (Kafanchan), Tyuku
- Jju (Kaje)
Hyamic
- Cori (Kyoli)
- Dangana
- Hyam (Jabba): Hyam of Nok, Sait, Dzar; maybe Yaat, Ankun also separate
- Shamang
- Zhire (Shang is relexified Zhire)
Koro
- Koro: Ashe, Begbere-Ejar
- Yeskwa (Nyankpa)
- Idun, Gwara
Gyongic
- Gyong (Kagoma)
- Nghan (Kamantan)
North Plateau (Northwest)
- Adara (Eda, Edra)
- Kuturmi
- Kulu (Ikulu)
- Idon
- Doka
- Iku (Iku-Gora-Ankwe)

Blench (2018) splits the Central Plateau languages into a Northwest Plateau group consisting of Eda/Edra, Acro-Obiro (Kuturmi), Kulu, Idon, Doka, Iku-Gora-Ankwe, and a West-Central Plateau linguistic area consisting of the Rigwe, Tyapic, Izeric, Hyamic, Koro, and Gyongic groups.

Many of the languages, including Jju, were formerly classified as part of a Southern Zaria group in earlier classifications.