Jalaa
Jalaa was a language isolate once spoken in Nigeria.
An isolate: no relationship to any other known language has been demonstrated.
Jalaa (autonym: bàsàrə̀n dà jàlààbè̩), also known as Cèntûm, Centúúm or Cen Tuum, is an extinct language of northeastern Nigeria (Loojaa settlement in Balanga Local Government Area, Gombe State), of uncertain origins, apparently a language isolate. The Jalabe (as descendants of speakers of the language are called) speak the Bwilim dialect of the Dikaka language. It is possible (but unconfirmed) that some remembered words have been retained for religious ceremonies, but in 1992 only a few elders remember words that their parents had used, and by 2010 there may not have even remained any such rememberers.
From Wikipedia · Jalaa language · CC BY-SA 4.0
Words in Jalaa
| Meaning | Word | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| nose | yam3* | |
| tooth | t3n3m* | |
| tongue | laNer* | |
| hand | dasi* | |
| bone | kusi* | |
| liver | n3r* | |
| water | mwe* | |
| star | beyint3ri* | |
| stone | lar* | |
| dog | sogon* | |
| fish | fu* | |
| see | Tu* | |
| die | tama* | |
| full | mat3m3n* |
* in the simplified ASJP transcription
Nearby languages
Elsewhere
Glottolog · cent2045 · Wikipedia (English) · Ethnologue · cet