Komta is an extinct unclassified language spoken in what is now Gombe State, northeastern Nigeria.
History of study
Ulrich Kleinewillinghöfer, when investigating the Jalaa language of Nigeria, inquired into the several previous peoples of the area that had, like the Jalaa, been absorbed by newcomers within living memory. One of these was the Komta. He says,
"The Komta people were dispelled and/or eradicated by the Tangale upon their arrival in the area around Kaltungo Peak. The list [below] was scribbled on a piece of paper and given to me in 2003 by and elderly Tangale working at the time in Maiduguri ... He explained that this is how his (Tangale) grandfather said the Komta counted."[1]
Data
Given the time elapsed and the lack of a direct witness, it can only be said that the following numerals are alleged to be Komta.[1]
1 pampe
2 natgana
3 titana
4 titanu
5 notgoru
6 borganje
7 gaje
8 yakana
9 yawo (yarwo?)
10 mat
Notes
^ abcUlrich Kleinewillinghöfer, 2010 ms, Jalaa, the last member of an extinct language family
