Basa-Benue language

(Redirected from Basa (Nigeria))

The Basa language, disambiguated as Basa-Benue, and also called Abacha, Abatsa, ru-Basa, Rubassa, is a Kainji language spoken in central Nigeria, in the vicinity of Bassa, Ankpa, Nasarawa, Gurara, Kwali and Makurdi.[1] Blench (2008) notes that Basa-Makurdi, Basa-Gurara and Basa-Kwali are separate varieties from Basa-Kwomu or Basa-Komo of Bassa, Ankpa and Nasarawa Local Government Areas and other Bassa speakers are Bassa Nge (also known as Bassa Nupe.

Basa
Basa-Benue
ru-basa
Native toNigeria
RegionBenue River
Native speakers
300,000 (2020)[1]
Dialects
  • Basa-Kwomu (Basa-Komo)
  • Basa-Makurdi
  • Basa-Gurara
  • Basa-Kwali
  • Bassa Nge (Bassa Nupe)
Language codes
ISO 639-3bzw
Glottologbasa1282
Basa[2]
Personbu-Basa
Peoplea-Basa
Languageru-Basa

Basa speakers also often speak the Igala language, the Ebira language or the Nupe language.[1]

Dialects and distribution

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  • Basa-Kwomu (Basa-Komo) dialect spoken in the states of Kogi and Nasarawa in Bassa, Ankpa and Nasarawa Local Government Areas.
  • Basa-Makurdi dialect spoken in the state of Benue in Makurdi Local Government Area.
  • Basa-Gurara dialect spoken in the state of Niger in Gurara Local Government Area
  • Basa-Kwali dialect spoken in the Federal Capital Territory in Kwali Local Government Area.
  • Bassa Nge (Bassa Nupe) dialect spoken in Kogi State and Niger State by the Bassa Nge people who also speak the Tako dialect of the Nupe language.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Basa at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)  
  2. ^ Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.