Zarma language
Songhay language of southwestern Niger
Zarma (Zarma Ciine/Sanni; Ajami: زَرْمَ ݘِينٜ / زَرْمَ سَنِّ) is a Songhay language that is the leading indigenous language of the southwestern lobe of the West African nation of Niger, where the Niger River flows and the capital city, Niamey, is located. Zarma is the second-most common language in the country, after Hausa, which is spoken in south-central Niger. With over 6 million speakers, Zarma is the most widely spoken Songhay language.
In earlier decades, Zarma was rendered Djerma, using French orthography, but it is usually now 'Zarma', the form that the Zarma people use in their language.
Alternative names for Zarma are Djerma, Jerma, Dyabarma, Dyarma, Dyerma, Adzerma, Zabarma, Zarbarma, Zabarmanci or Zerma.
Geographic distribution
The majority of people who speak Zarma live in Southwestern Niger. It is also spoken in other parts of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria. Cities where Zarma is spoken include Tillaberi, Dosso, Niamey, Tahoua and Agadez.
In Nigeria, where the Zarma people are usually referred to as Zabarma or Zabarmawa, they are located in bordering States such as Kebbi, near Nguru Road in Yobe State and communities in Niger State.
Communities
Outside Niger, Nigeria and Mali, communities of speakers are found in the following other countries:
Northern Benin
Sahel Region and Est Region, Burkina Faso
Urban Areas in Northern Ghana
Savanes District, Ivory Coast
Kara Region and Savanes Region, Togo
Northern Cameroon
Sudan
Phonology
Vowels
There are ten vowels: the five oral vowels (/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/) and their nasalized counterparts.
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This entry incorporates text from “Zarma language” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.