Boze, also rendered Buji, is an East Kainji language of Nigeria belonging to the Shammo cluster. Boze is spoken in a contiguous area Bicizà, directly to the north of Jos city in Plateau State, Nigeria.Blench, Roger. 2021. Introduction to the Shammɔ peoples of Central Nigeria.
Dialects include Boze, Gorong, and Firu.
Distribution Boze (ɛBoze), also called Buji, is spoken in many villages to the west and northwest of Jos.Blench, Roger M. 2018. Nominal affixing in the Kainji languages of northwestern and central Nigeria. In John R. Watters (ed.), East Benue-Congo: Nouns, pronouns, and verbs, 59–106. Berlin: Language Science Press.
Below are village names organized by dialect, with modern names are given in parentheses.
Boze dialect Bīntīrí Bìsɔ̄ (Rùmáná) Bɛ̄hɔ̄lɛ̄ Gbàndāŋ Ɔ̀bɛ̀nɛ̀ àkùrá (Màirágá) Ɔ̀pɛ̄ɛ̀gɔ̄ Ɔ̀tɔ̀ɔ̀tùsū (Rùmfán Gwómnà) Rībàmbōzē Rīdāpɔ̄ Tìpɔ́ɔ̀ táázà (ādònkòròŋ) Tìpɔ́ɔ̀ tādīzì (Kwánà) Tūūmū (Sə́rə́rí) Ūgbàrà Ùkúū
Gorong dialect Màlēēmpē (Jéjìn Fílí) Ɔ̄wɔ̀ɔ̀yɔ̄ɔ̄yɔ̀ Rɛ̀shɔ́kɔ̄ Rɛ̀tɛ̄ɛ̄ rūjà (Ùrɛ̀kùn) Rɛ̀wɔ̄ɔ̄ (Ràfín Gwázá) Úlìndāŋ
Firu dialect Tūmbàkīrì (Kìrāŋ̄gō) Ùkwə̀shì Zə̀ə̀lə̀kì (Gìndáu)
Mixed Zùùkū (NNPC Depot)
Others Ɛ̀fīīrù (Kòòfá) Īcīzā Īncā (Táshà) Ɔ̀bɛ̀nɛ̀ (Sə́rə́rí)
Phonology
Consonants LabialAlveolarPost-alv./PalatalVelarLabio-velarGlottalNasalmnɲŋPlosive/Affricatevoicelessptt͡ʃkk͡pvoicedbdd͡ʒɡɡ͡bFricativevoicelessfsʃhvoicedvzʒTrillrLaterallApproximantjw
Sounds /b, k, ɡ/ may also be both labialized [bʷ, kʷ, ɡʷ] and palatalized [bʲ, kʲ, ɡʲ]. Labial-velar sounds /k͡p, ɡ͡b/ may also be heard in free variation with labialized sounds [kʷ, ɡʷ].
Vowels FrontCentralBackHighi iːu uːHigh-mide eːə əːo oːLow-midɛ ɛːɔ ɔːLowa aː
References