Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Fəran, Frisian, Faran, Foron, Yes Firan, Kwakwi
CLASSIFICATION		Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Benue-Congo, Nupoid
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		fir
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

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Information from: “The Fəran language of Central Nigeria and its affinities” . Roger Blench (2008)

Vulnerable

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~3000
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
"There are probably about three thousand speakers of Fəran, although the scattered nature of their compounds makes this difficult to estimate. Immediate observation suggests that most children grow up speaking the language and that it is surviving under pressure from its larger neighbours, Berom and Iten, as well as the vehicular language, Hausa."

DATE OF INFO: 2003

TRANSMISSION
OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

PLACES: Plateau State, Nigeria

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: "...spoken in Kwakwi village in Plateau State, Nigeria [...] Kwakwi is situated west of the main road from Jos to Akwanga, directly after Tahoss on the road leading to Ganawuri. The Fəran divide their settlement into eight distinct wards, but in reality the compounds are extremely scattered and this is a social and political distinction rather than a reflection of nucleated settlements."

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
2,500
Native speakers worldwide

DATE OF INFO: 2003

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
<1500
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Speaker number: "less than 1500 (1991)"
Reference cited in Blench (2011): Regnier (1991); Blench (2004)

DATE OF INFO: 1991

PLACES: Plateau State, Nigeria

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Plateau State, Barakin Ladi LGA, at Kwakwi station, south of Jos

	2008	The Fəran language of Central Nigeria and its affinities		Manuscript			http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Niger-Congo/BC/Plateau/Izere/Izere%%20dialects/Firan%%20wordlist.pdf	Roger Blench	Roger Blench. 2008. "The Fəran Language of Central Nigeria and Its Affinities." Online: http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Niger-Congo/BC/Plateau/Izere/Izere%%20dialects/Firan%%20wordlist.pdf.		~3000	2003	1000-9999	"There are probably about three thousand speakers of Fəran, although the scattered nature of their compounds makes this difficult to estimate. Immediate observation suggests that most children grow up speaking the language and that it is surviving under pressure from its larger neighbours, Berom and Iten, as well as the vehicular language, Hausa."	Berom; Iten; Hausa	Vulnerable (60 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	10	Plateau State, Nigeria	"...spoken in Kwakwi village in Plateau State, Nigeria [...] Kwakwi is situated west of the main road from Jos to Akwanga, directly after Tahoss on the road leading to Ganawuri. The Fəran divide their settlement into eight distinct wards, but in reality the compounds are extremely scattered and this is a social and political distinction rather than a reflection of nucleated settlements."	9.600025, 8.666694
3	2011	An Atlas of Nigerian Languages			Mallam Dendo	Cambridge	http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Africa/Nigeria/Atlas%%20of%%20Nigerian%%20Languages-%%20ed%%20III.pdf	Roger Blench	Roger Blench. 2011. "An Atlas of Nigerian Languages." Mallam Dendo. Online: http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Africa/Nigeria/Atlas%%20of%%20Nigerian%%20Languages-%%20ed%%20III.pdf.	HHOLD	<1500	1991	1000-9999	Speaker number: "less than 1500 (1991)" Reference cited in Blench (2011): Regnier (1991); Blench (2004)		Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)		Plateau State, Nigeria	Plateau State, Barakin Ladi LGA, at Kwakwi station, south of Jos
16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)	M. Paul Lewis		SIL International	Dallas, TX	http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub	2,500	2003	1000-9999			Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)

Firan

Language metadata

Language information by source

Vulnerable

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~3000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,500

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<1500

Discussion

Firan

Language metadata

Language information by source

Vulnerable

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~3000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,500

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<1500

Discussion

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Sources of information

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