Jibu language

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Jukunoid language of Nigeria

title: "Jibu language" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["jukunoid-languages", "languages-of-nigeria"] description: "Jukunoid language of Nigeria" topic_path: "linguistics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jibu_language" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Jukunoid language of Nigeria ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox language"]

Field	Value
name	Jibu
states	Nigeria
region	Taraba State
speakers	30,000
date	1997
ref	e25
familycolor	Niger-Congo
fam2	Atlantic–Congo
fam3	Benue–Congo
fam4	Jukunoid
fam5	Central
fam6	Jukun
iso3	jib
glotto	jibu1239
glottorefname	Jibu
::

Jibu is a Jukunoid language spoken in the Taraba State of Nigeria by 30,000 people.

Phonology

In Jibu, there are 18 consonant phonemes, 9 vowels (which are represented just using three letters), and three tones (rising, mid-level, and falling). In Jibu, nasalization, labialization, and palatalization are considered to be part of the syllable, and are written along with it after the vowel. Nasalization is represented with n, except when it is at the end of a syllable it becomes doubled (/kʲã/ becomes kyann). Labialization is represented with w, and palatalization with y respectively.

Vowels

In Jibu, there are 9 phonemically different vowels, which are represented by , , and . A tenth sound resembling , is only used in loanwords from other languages, such as the neighboring Hausa, and is represented by . ::data[format=table title="Table of vowels in Jibu"]

Front	Central	Back
i	i	u
a
a		o
		a
a
	a
::

Consonants

Jibu has 18 different consonant phonemes. Some different phonemes are represented by the same symbol, such as and being both represented as in their older modified Americanist Phonetic Notation orthographic forms. If all of the consonant phonemes are represented using their older Americanist Phonetic Notation counterparts, there is no orthographic overlap. The sound , which is used in some Hausa loanwords, is commonly represented using . ::data[format=table title="Jibu consonants"]

Labial	Alveolar	Palato-alveolar	Palatal	Velar
m	n, l			ng
p	t			k
b	d			g, ꞡ
f	s	s, š
v	z, đ	j, z
	r, ř
			y	w
::

Tones

Jibu has three tones (four if the base tone is included). These tones are high (´), lowered-mid (') and low (`). The base tone is not written on words and in more recent publications, neither is the lowered-mid tone.

::data[format=table title="Comparison of Jibu tonesBlench, Rodger. [http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Niger-Congo/BC/Jukunoid/Jibu%20Dictionary.pdf ''Jibu Dictionary'']. p. 18"]

Jibu	English	IPA
káb	all, finish (idiophone)	/kɛ́b/
kab	to dip out, to dig, to snap off, surpass	/kɛb/
kàb	provisional hut	/kɛ̀b/
::

Orthography

The system used today in Jibu includes some symbols for transcribing sounds in Hausa loanwords, the older system, which is a slightly modified version of Americanist Phonetic Notation, does not include a symbol for the transcription of h, and includes the fact that multiple phonemes are transcribed as a single symbol in multiple cases. ::data[format=table]

Modern System	Previous System (Modified APN)	IPA
m	m	/m/
n	n, l	/n/
ng, ŋ	ng, ŋ	/ŋ/
b	b	/b/
d	d	/d/
g	g, ꞡ	/g/
p	p	/p/
t	t	/t/
k	k	/k/
v	v	/v/
f	f	/f/
y	y	/j/
w	w	/w/
r	r, ř	/ɾ/
z	z, đ	/z/
j	j, z	/ʒ/
s	s	/s/
sh	s, š	/ʃ/
'd	'd	/ɗ/
h	-	/h/
::

Verbs

In Jibu, verbs are not conjugated, which is a common aspect among Junkanoid languages. Instead, the pronoun is placed before the verb, and all aspect markers are placed before the pronoun.

Intransitive: á (work! - á sar)

Continuative action: ri (are working - ri sar)

Completed action: hiŋ (did work - hiŋ sar)

Completive action: rìg, rìghiŋ (work has been completed - rìg sar)

Pronouns

Jibu pronouns do not reflect gender, the word wá meaning he, she, or it, unlike English, does not have multiple forms based on gender. ::data[format=table]

1st Person	2nd Person	3rd Person
mí (I)	wú (you)	wá (he, she, it)
yá (we)	ná (you pl.)	bá (they)
::

Phrases

Good afternoon - aku àyúnn-à
Good morning - bib kyàr
Sorry! - àtau!
Hurry! - á àzwab!
Hello, thank you - ísoko, soko

Literature

Biblical Texts

Psalm 100

This text of the 100th psalm is presented in the standardized non-Americanist Phonetic Notation literary orthography. ::data[format=table]

Line	Original	IPA	Translation
[1]	Mpirká á byar á myann níng bidim pár,		Shout to the Lord all the earth!
Abig dài swam yan Shinn Luyí ma pìkyinn àjwár.
[2]	Aning wib Shinn Luyi ma pìkyinn mìmìg,		Serve the Lord with joy.
Aning bi á pyànnwá ni ma jonn àjwár.		Come before him with a joyful shout!
[3]	Aning yì rag Shinn Luyí shi sig ni Shìdun.		Acknowledge that the Lord is God.
Ku màm sig yi ínì, Yi shi sig í buwá, Yi í bìr mpìrká buwá.		He made us and we belong to him;
Ku ri pyag yi àràg barà, mpìr ri pyag bu apyagká buwá.		We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
[4]	Aning kà bi á lu Shìdun ma jonn, Aning sa ya ku í soko.		Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.
Aning swam yan ku sai-à na kà á fir luwá ni.		Thank him and bless his name,
Aning sa ya ku í soko, ma aning swam yan zìnnwá.
[5]	Shinn Luyí sàn hing, á zìm-à ku ri zìm yi níng, ma vinn fig á vinn bána.		for the Lord is good, and his gracious love stands forever.
Pìkyinn ǹsànwá shi sig hár kinn kinn.		His faithfulness remains from generation to generation.
::

References

{{Glottolog. jibu1239. Jibu
Bradley, Virginia. (1971). "Jibu Narrative Discourse Structure". SIL.
Blench, Rodger. [http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Niger-Congo/BC/Jukunoid/Jibu%20Dictionary.pdf ''Jibu Dictionary'']. p. 18
(1993). "Jonn-à Yan Shìdun á Nu Jibu". Jibu Bible Translation Committee.

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