Mambila NG-Len

Language name and location: Len Mambila, Tabara State, Nigeria [Refer to Ethnologue]

语言名称和分布地区: 棱-曼比拉语, 尼日利亚东部与喀麦隆交界的塔巴拉州地区

1. tìn	21. nàdã́ tɔ̀p tín
2. fàhàn; fàːn	22. nàdã́ tɔ̀p fàːn
3. táːr	23. nàdã́ tɔ̀p táːr
4. nɔ̀	24. nàdã́ tɔ̀p nɔ̀
5. tsín	25. nàdã́ tɔ̀p tsín
6. tínsìn; tíntsìn	26. nàdã́ tɔ̀p tíntsìn
7. tɔ́fɔ̄n	27. nàdã́ tɔ̀p tɔ́fɔ̄n
8. tĩ́ndɔ́	28. nàdã́ tɔ̀p tĩ́ndɔ́
9. tànɔ̀	29. nàdã́ tɔ̀p tànɔ̀
10. jù	30. jū táːr
11. jū tɔ̀p tín	40. jū nɔ̀
12. jū tɔ̀p fàːn	50. jū tsín
13. jū ntɔ̀p táːr	60. jū tíntsìn
14. jū ntɔ̀p nɔ̀	70. jū tɔ́fɔ̄n
15. jū ntɔ̀p tsín	80. jū tíndɔ́
16. jū ntɔ̀p tíntsìn	90. jū tànɔ̀
17. jū ntɔ̀p tɔ́fɔ̄n	100. ŋ̄gàp tín，200. ŋ̄gàp fàːn
18. jū ntɔ̀p tĩ́ndɔ́	400. ŋ̄gàp nɔ̀，
19. jū ntɔ̀p tànɔ̀	1000. wún tìn
20. nàdã́	2000. wún fàːn

Linguist providing data and dateː Mr. Bukunmi Ogunsola, Department of Linguistics and African Languages, University of Ibadan, Ibadan (PhD candidate) and National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN), Aba, Abia State, Nigeria. June 18, 2019

提供资料的语言学家: Mr. Bukunmi Ogunsola, 2019 年 6 月 18 日.

Other comments: Len-Mambila has developed a decimal numeral system.

Len-Mambila is spoken in six Bang villages in Sardauna LGA of Taraba State along the Nigerian-Cameroon border. The Mambila ethnic group in present day Taraba State, Nigeria migrated from Central Africa around 3000 BC and eventually settled in a place called Kimi, southern part of Cameroon. After many years of inhabiting Kimi, political (Jihad) and economic crisis rocked the settlement and resulted in a new wave of migration and dispersal. Hence, people groups proceeded under different leaders and settled at various points along the Plateau. The Bang people in the course of these migrations settled in their present day location along the Nigerian-Cameroon border. Owing to war, intruding forces, neighbouring conquerors, land ownership and need for protection, Bang people sought shelter on the Plateau along the remotest part resulting in further fragmentation.

Language information

Len-Mambila is a variety of the Mambiloid cluster classified as North Bantoid language saddling both sides of the Nigeria-Cameroon border in Taraba State and Adamawa region, respectively. It is spoken by agrarian community in Bang villages, (Bang 3 Corner, Bang Down, Bang Leng, Bang Leng-Lip, Bang Lycop and Saam) of Sarduna Local Government Area, Taraba State; with diminishing number of speakers. It is used alongside Fulfulde and other Mambila lects by most residents.

Notesː

‘ŋ̄gàp’ – means calabash. It is indigenously used as a unit of measurement because of the belief that a calabash would hold a hundred kolanut. Moreso, according to one of my consultants, Bang people counted kolanut in hundreds which equates to the amount a calabash can hold.

‘wún’ – means rope. So Bang people refer to 1000 as a rope alluding the tradition of tying a rope to ten calabashes to indicate some kind of bundle.

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