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.

Dialects include Boze, Gorong, and Firu.

Distribution

Boze (ɛBoze), also called Buji, is spoken in many villages to the west and northwest of Jos.

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- velarGlottal
Nasalmnɲŋ
Plosive/ Affricatevoicelessptt͡ʃkk͡p
voicedbdd͡ʒɡɡ͡b
Fricativevoicelessfsʃh
voicedvzʒ
Trillr
Laterall
Approximantjw
  • 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

FrontCentralBack
Highi iːu uː
High-mide eːə əːo oː
Low-midɛ ɛːɔ ɔː
Lowa aː