🇳🇬 Language

Bishi

Evidence: Well documented

Bishi is a language of Kaduna State, according to Roger Blench's Atlas of Nigerian Languages (2020), which classifies it as Kainji (Eastern Kainji: group A).

Type
Language
Belongs to
Kainji
Glottocode
piti1243

Bishi is a language of Kaduna State, according to Roger Blench's Atlas of Nigerian Languages (2020), which classifies it as Kainji (Eastern Kainji: group A). The Atlas places it in Saminaka LGA, a former LGA; Saminaka town is now the headquarters of Lere LGA (Wikipedia). Its speakers live in at least twenty-six villages (2013). Other names include Abisi, Bisi, Pitti. Speaker figures in the Atlas: 1,600 (1950). The Atlas notes that Ngmgbang, formerly listed as a dialect of Bishi, is a distinct language. Glottolog lists it as Piti.

  • Abisi · alternative
    Blench's Atlas (2020), field 1.A: alternate spelling of the name.
  • Bisi · alternative
    Blench's Atlas (2020), field 1.A: alternate spelling of the name.
  • Pitti · alternative
    Blench's Atlas (2020), field 2.B: other name for the language.
  1. An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (2020 edition) — Roger Blench, Kay Williamson Educational Foundation / McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, 2020 · Academic source · link (accessed 24 Sep 2026)
    Supports: Bishi
  2. Glottolog language index (resourcemap) — Glottolog · Academic source · link (accessed 26 Sep 2026)
    Supports: Glottolog piti1243
  3. Saminaka — Wikipedia · Reference source · link (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
    Supports: Saminaka, headquarters of Lere LGA
How evidence is graded
  • Verified: Supported by an official source, or by two or more independent sources that agree.
  • Well documented: Supported by credible sources, but not yet independently confirmed.
  • Reported: Found in a credible source; further corroboration is welcome.
  • Needs corroboration: The evidence is thin or incomplete; more sources are being sought.
  • Disputed: Credible sources or community accounts disagree; the differing accounts are noted.
  • Uncertain: There is not yet enough information to classify this responsibly.

Sources are marked official, academic, reference, community or general web. Sources that copy each other count as one. Oral traditions are recorded as traditions, not as proven fact.

Archive ID: LANG-BISHI · Last updated 7 October 2026. Spotted an error or have a source to add? Tell us.

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