Ngas, or Angas, is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Plateau State, Nigeria. The language has two dialects: Hill Angas and Plain Angas. Ngas is one of the major languages in Plateau State. The 1952 census puts it as the largest ethnic group in Plateau State. Retired General Yakubu Gowon is a prominent Nigerian who is of Ngas ethnicity.
Neighbouring languages Belnǝng is an A3 West Chadic language closely related to Angas. It is spoken by about 500 people in the single village of Langung, which is surrounded by Tal villages in the east and Miship villages in the west.Blench, Roger. 2017. Current research on the A3 West Chadic languages.
Speakers of Sur, a Plateau language, are surrounded by Ngas speakers, but Sur nevertheless continues to be a well-maintained language.Blench, Roger. 2004. Tarok and related languages of east-central Nigeria.
The Ngas language has also undergone extensive influence from Tarok.
Phonology
Vowels FrontCentralBackClose Close-mid Open-midOpen
Sounds /ɛ, ɔ/ are only heard as short equivalents of /eː, oː/, which are only heard as long.
Consonants LabialAlveolarPalato-alveolarPalatalVelarGlottalplainlab.pal.plainlab.plainlab.plainlab.plainlab.pal.NasalStop/Affricatevoicelessvoicedvd. prenasalvl. prenasalimplosiveFricativevoicelessvoicedvl. prenasalvd. prenasalApproximantTrillvoicedprenasal
Writing system + Ngas alphabet a b ɓ c d ɗ dy e ǝ f g h ḥ i j k l m n ṇ ny o p r s sh t u v w y z ẓ ʼ
Notes
Further reading Donald A. Burquest. 1971. A Preliminary Study of Angas Phonology. Zaria: Institute of Linguistics. Donald A. Burquest. 1973. A Grammar of Angas. University of California at Los Angeles, PhD dissertation.
External links Litafin Addua: The Book of Common Prayer in the Angas Language (1921) digitized by Richard Mammana