Bacama language

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Bacama (Bachama) is an Afro-Asiatic language of the Chadic branch that is spoken in Nigeria in Adamawa State principally in the Numan, Demsa and Lamurde Local Government Areas by the Bwatiye people.[2] The Dialects are Mulyen, Opalo, and Wa-Duku. Bachama-Yimburu appears to be a closely related but distinct language. Bachama is used as a trade language.[1] It is often considered the same language as Bata.

Bacama
Ɓwaare
Native toNigeria
RegionAdamawa State, Kogi State
Native speakers
300,000 (2020)[1]
Dialects
  • Mulyen
  • Opalo
  • Wa-Duku
  • Demsa Bata
Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3bcy
Glottologbaca1246  Bacama
baca1245  Bacama-Yimburu

Numerals

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Bachama has a decimal/quinary number system, with both 5 and 10 as bases:[3]

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
hido kpe mwakin fwot tuf tukoltaka tukolukpe fwofwot dombi hido bau

8 is 4-4, 6 and 7 are based on adding to 5, and 9 means '(10) less 1'.

Example Texts in Bacama

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  • Gibo ma ḅa ḍa motso da Pwa tsi ne ndso-nogi ka nji-nogi ka nogi. - Mark 3:35 (GWVS 1915) [4]

Other Resources available in Bacama

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Audio Recordings in Bacama

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Bacama at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)  
  2. ^ Carnochan, J (1967). "The Coming of the Fulani: A Bachama Oral Tradition". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 30 (3). Cambridge University Press: 622–633. doi:10.1017/S0041977X00132082. JSTOR 612391. S2CID 144140973.
  3. ^ Matsushita, 'Decimal vs. Duodecimal'
  4. ^ LinguaBank - Bachama