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The Atsam Verb Phrase
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1.2.4 Administrative Setting.
According to the oral tradition of
Atsam, the chief popularly known as Res-Tsam is the overall ruler in
Atsam land. The announcement of laws that ensures peaceful co-existence
and the maintenance of law and order within the chiefdom rest on his
shoulders. He also performs the functions of lobbing government in
bringing development programmes to the chiefdom.
Traditionally, the
chief’s palace is located at Damakasuwa Chawai which is the headquarters
for central administration with six districts. These districts include:
Damakasuwa that covers villages as Kichiguya, Rafingora, Mangul and
Kisari. The second District is Zambina with its headquarters at Ungwan
Makama Chawai; it covers villages as Badurum, Kurmi Riga and Rana. The
third district is Faden Chawai, and it covers villages as Kibobi, Talo
and Riban. The fourth Pari with its headquarter at Kiffin Chawai, and it
covers villages as Kiffin and Pari.
The fifth district is Kamaru
with its headquarter at Kizakor and it covers villages as Kamaru,
Kihoba, Kuyanboro and Kizakoro, the sixth district is Bakin Kogi. These
districts heads are, however, supported by a number of village Heads
within their domains. The village Heads also reports to the district
heads and the Ward Head is popularly known as Mai’angwa in their
tradition.
1.3 Genetic Classification of Atsam.
The idea
that groups of languages that share certain systematic resemblances have
inherited those similarities from a common origin is the basis for
genetic classifications.
Ruhlen (1987) describes Genetic
classification as a form of a tree diagram showing the origin of a
language from a common ancestor, and it is related to each other
genetically to other languages. Atsam language belongs to the platoid
group of languages under Benue-Congo group of Niger-Congo phylum of
Niger-Kordofanian language family of African languages.
The language family is represented below:
AFRICA
Fantsuam Gong Kore Atsam Tyap Piti Atsam Jjuu
Adapted from (Blench, 1992:94).
1.3.1 Geographical Location Of Atsam
Today,
the Atsam Community are in Kauru Local Government of Kaduna State and
they are also in Lare, Zangon Kataf and also in PlateuState. Zangon
Kataf is about 5 kilometers distance from Atsam.
Apart from
the Atsam people, there are other neighboring communities that can
speak Atsam language like Hausa people, Pari people and Rahama Chawai,
people that are living in Atsam, Kataf and Zango.
The populations of Atsam people are about 30,000 as of the 2006 census.
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