Firan language

Firan
Fəràn, Fɨràn
Native toNigeria
RegionPlateau State
Native speakers
5,000 (2019)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3fir
Glottologfira1238
ELPFiran
Fɨràn[2]
Personyes Fɨràn
Peopleyes Bèfɨràn
LanguageFɨràn

Firan or Fəràn is a Plateau language closely related to Izere. Most Firan speakers are multilingual in Firan, Hausa, English, Iten and sometimes Berom.[3]

Phonology

Consonants

Consonants of Firan [SIL][3]
Bilabial Labiodental Alveolar Postalveolar Palatal Velar Labialvelar Glottal
Plosive b p d t ɡ k ɡ͡b k͡p
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Sibilant affricate dz ts d̠ʒ t̠ʃ
Sibilant fricative z s ʃ
Non-sibilant fricative ɸ v f ç ɣ h
Approximant j w
Tap/flap ɾ
Trill r
Lateral approximant l
Consonants of Firan [Blench][4]
Bilabial Labiodental Alveolar Postalveolar Palatal Velar Labialvelar Glottal
Plosive b p d t ɡ k ɡ͡b k͡p
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Sibilant affricate ts d̠ʒ t̠ʃ
Sibilant fricative z~dz s ʃ
Non-sibilant fricative f h
Approximant j ɥ w
Tap/flap ɾ
Lateral approximant l

/Cj/ and /Cw/ sequences are permitted but are uncommon

Vowels

Vowels of Firan [SIL][3]
Front Near-front Central Near-back Back
Close i ɨ u
Near-close ɪ ʊ
Close-mid e o
Mid ə
Open-mid ɛ ɜ/ə ɔ
Open a/ɑ
Vowels of Firan [Blench][4]
Front Near-front Central Near-back Back
Close i ɨ u
Close-mid e o
Open-mid ɛ ɔ
Open a

Tones

There are 5 tones -- high, mid, low, rising and falling. The rising and falling tones are described as 'aris[ing] from sequences of level tones', but it is not clear what is meant by that, as there are no long vowels in the language.[4]

References

  1. ^ Firan at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. ^ Blench, Roger (2019). An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (4th ed.). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
  3. ^ a b c "A Sociolinguistic Profile of the Firan [fir] Language of Plateau State, Nigeria". SIL International. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Roger Blench, 2024, Introduction to a preliminary dictionary of the Fɨran language of Central Nigeria

Further reading


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