Tarokoid languages

Tarokoid
Plateau VII
Geographic distribution:	Nigeria
Linguistic classification:	Niger–Congo Atlantic–Congo Benue–Congo Central Nigerian (Platoid) Plateau Tarokoid
Glottolog:	taro1265

The five Tarokoid languages are a branch of the Plateau family spoken in central Nigeria, just north of the middle reaches of the Benue River. Tarok itself has 300 000 speakers, Pe and Sur about 5 000 apiece. Yangkam is severely endangered, being spoken by around fifty elderly men.

Classification

The only language with significant data is Tarok. Pe (Pai) has been placed in various branches of Plateau, but it now seems clear that the following four languages belong together.

Tarokoid	Tarok (Yergam) Pe (Pai) Yankam (Bashar) Sur (Tapshin)

As of 2012, the Kwang (Kwanka) language cluster, consisting of four closely related dialects, is also thought to be Tarokoid.

References

• Blench (2008) Prospecting proto-Plateau. Manuscript.

External links

• Plateau materials from Roger Blench