| Jalaa | |
|---|---|
| Centúúm | |
| bàsàrə̀n dà jàlààbè̩ | |
| Native to | Nigeria |
| Region | Loojaa settlement in Balanga Local Government Area, Gombe State |
| Extinct | several elders remembered words from their forefathers in 1992, likely none by 2010[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | cet |
| Glottolog | cent2045 |
| ELP | Centúúm |
Jalaa (autonym: bàsàrə̀n dà jàlààbè̩), also known as Cèntûm,[2] Centúúm or Cen Tuum, is an extinct language of northeastern Nigeria (Loojaa settlement in Balanga Local Government Area, Gombe State), of uncertain origins, apparently a language isolate. The Jalabe (as descendants of speakers of the language are called) speak the Bwilim dialect of the Dikaka language. It is possible (but unconfirmed) that some remembered words have been retained for religious ceremonies, but in 1992 only a few elders remember words that their parents had used, and by 2010 there may not even remain any such rememberers.[1]
The Jalabe are said to have come to Loojaa from an area a few miles south within the Muri Mountains, where they had shared a settlement with Tso and Kwa clans. (The name of this settlement, Cèntûm or Cùntûm, is used as a name for the language in some sources. Jalaa elders differ in whether they believe Jalaa or Centum/Cuntum was their original name for themselves.) Later, during the nineteenth century, the Dikaka arrived in the area, fleeing attacks from the larger Waja to the north; the Cham intermarried with the Jalabe, and the Jalabe began to adopt the Dikaka language.