Sambe language

Sambe
Native toNigeria
RegionKaduna State
Extinct2 elderly speakers in 2005
Language codes
ISO 639-3xab
Glottologsamb1307
ELPSambe

Sambe is a presumably extinct Plateau language of Nigeria once spoken in the village of the same name. The Sambe people have shifted to Ninzo.

Sambe is unusual in contrasting /k͡p/ and /k͡pʷ/, a rare distinction in the world’s languages. For example,

/k͡pùk͡pʷɛ̀/ "cough"
/kə́k͡pɛ/ "choose"