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Historical Inferences from the Linguistic Geography of the Nigerian Middle Belt

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 January 2012

J. A. Ballard
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Extract

This paper examines the distribution of languages in the Nigerian Middle Belt, draws certain historical inferences from the patterns of distribution, and assesses non-linguistic evidence tending to confirm or refute these inferences. The Middle Belt is taken as an area roughly inscribed by the Hausa-speaking area to the north, and the Yoruba, Edo, and Ibo-speaking areas to the south. Geographically it is an area which has a certain climatic coherence, falling between the sahel to the north and the forest to the south (Pullan, 1962; Buchanan, 1953). It is also an area of much more strikingly broken terrain than those to the north or south, with not only the complex relief of the Jos Plateau, but also many ranges of hills, particularly along its northern frontier and in its eastern half. This terrain appears to have militated against the establishment of large coherent political systems in the past and it is only in the plains of the Niger and Benue valleys that there is a record of extensive state systems in recent history, those of the Nupe and Jukun. On the other hand, archaeological evidence indicates that the Nok culture extended over a very large area of the Middle Belt, not by any means confined to the plains (Fagg, 1959, 1969), and there is evidence of a certain measure of cultural unity today (Murdock, 1959).

Résumé

CONCLUSIONS HISTORIQUES TIRÉES DE LA GÉOGRAPHIE LINGUISTIQUE DU MIDDLE BELT NIGÉRIEN

La géographie linguistique complexe du Middle Belt nigérien offre plusieurs exemples d'un modèle particulier de distribution des langues. II s'agit d'un groupe linguistiquement homogène occupant une vaste région ayant une seule frontière contiguë géographiquement avec des peuples parlant des langues apparentées à la sienne. Dans cette situation, une hypothèse de travail peut être élaborée, celle de la migration du groupe homogène loin de cette zone de contiguïté. Cette hypothèse est renforcée lorsque le groupe homogène sépare des peuples parlant des langues apparentées relevant d'un autre groupe linguistique.

Divers exemples de ce modèle dans le Middle Belt permettent de supposer l'existence d'une migration des Tiv et des Igbirra, migration qui est largement confirmée par latradition orale. Le même modèle se retrouve pour les Gwandara, Jarawan Bantu, le groupe apparenté des Angas et les Birom, mais pour chacun d'eux lcs conclusions apportées par la géographie linguistique sont moins évidentes.

Les groupes que l'on rencontre le plus souvent à la périphérie de ces migrations — résidant pour la plupart sur les collines ou dans les zones de terrain accidenté — sont ceux parlant les langues très différenciées des ethnies du ‘ groupe du Plateau ’ décrit par Greenberg. Ils semblent avoir été les premiers habitants de la partie centrale du Middle Belt. Les preuves concernant la résidence sur les collines et dans les plaines de cette zone donnent a penser que les gens parlant la langue du Plateau ont longtemps été des habitants des collines et que les plaines étaient relativement vides jusqu'à leur occupation par des groupes d'immigrants.

Type
Research Article
Information
Africa , Volume 41 , Issue 4 , October 1971 , pp. 294 - 305
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 1971

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