The following list of selected Plateau reconstructions is from Gerhardt (1983: 225-228). The selected reconstructions compiled by Gerhardt (1983: 225-228) represent more stable lexicon items that are cognate across different Plateau groups.
Gerhardt (1983) reconstructs Proto-Plateau 2a, Proto-Plateau 2b, Proto-Plateau 3, and Proto-Plateau 4.
Languages used by Gerhardt (1983) for his reconstructions, along with corresponding subgroups according to Roger Blench (2008):[1]
| Group | Languages | Blench (2008) classification |
|---|---|---|
| Kagoro | Kagoro, Katab, Atakar, Kaje, Zarek (Afusare), Irigwe | Tyapic, Izere, Rigwe |
| Jaba | Jaba (Kwoi), Jaba (Jaban Ketare), Kagoma, Koro, Lungu | Hyamic, Koro, Gyongic |
| Plateau 4 | Nindem, Kaningkom, Ninzam, Mada (West), Mada (North), Che (Rukuba) | Ninzic |
| English | *Proto-Plateau 2a (Kagoro) | *Proto-Plateau 2b (Jaba) | *Proto-Plateau 3 (Beromic) | *Proto-Plateau 4 (Ninzic) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| animal | *i-nam / *niam | *ì-nam | *niam | *ì-naŋ |
| answer, to | *siim | *sim | *siim | |
| arm | *-bwak | *gu-bok | *-bwak | *ku-ŋɔ́k |
| ashes | *-toŋ | *ba-toŋ | *-toŋ | *ù-Ntɔ́ŋ |
| ask, to | *dip | *lip+V | *dịp | |
| back | *-ma | *-ma | *-ma | |
| bee | *-siwas | *ì-ɣwek | *-siwas | *i-sịok |
| bird | *-nwan | *ì-nu | *-nwan | *ì-nɔn |
| black | *sit | *sit | *sịt | |
| blood | *-suok | *ba-zi | *nì-ji | *ma-ɣì |
| blow, to | *pyap | *pep | *pyap | |
| bone | *-kup | *gu-kup | *-kup | *kù-kụp |
| borrow, to | *kwap | *kop | *kwap | *kɔp |
| break, to | *but | *bun | *mun | |
| breast | *-basan | *gu-beŋ / *-baŋ | *-basal | |
| buffalo | *-zat | *ì-Nɣas | *-zat | *ì-ɣat |
| call, to | *gi | *he | *gis / *git | |
| charcoal | *-tian | *-ka | *-kal | *a-kar |
| child | *-gwan | *-ɣwe | *-gwal | *u-vin |
| chin / beard | *-det | *ga-Ndet | *dyat | *Nd: i-Njet |
| clay | *-dyam | *Kor: ru-dem | *-le | |
| clothing | *-todok / *tosok | *Kor: tola | *-tula | *à-Ntɔr |
| come, to | *ba | *ba | *byas | |
| corpse | *-kom | *u-kom | *-kwam | *ki-kóm |
| count, to | *pa | *pal+V | *basa | *ban / *bar |
| cow | *-niak | *ì-nak | *ì-Nɣak | |
| dew | *-myaŋ | *-meŋ | *ma-méŋ | |
| die, to | *kwu | *kwo | *ku | *kụ |
| dig, hoe, farm | *kap | *kap+V | *kap | |
| dirt | *-dik | *-lim | *-dik | *i-dị́k |
| divide, to | *kap | *gap | *gap / *kap | *gap |
| drink, to | *suo | * | *swa | *sɔ |
| dry, to | *kwot | *kol+V | *kwat | *kor |
| dust | *-bwuŋ | *-buŋ | *ì-put | |
| ear | *-two | *gu-to | *-toŋ | *ku-tóŋ |
| earth | *-byin | *ba-bi | *-byal | *ku-mi |
| egg | *-tii | *-zeŋ | *-tii | |
| excrements | *-biŋ | *gi-bíŋ | *-biŋ | *-gwiŋ / *ɣeŋ |
| eye | *-gi | *gu-su | *-gis | *ki-sị́ |
| fall, to | *kua | *gwa | *ku | |
| father | *da | *ta | *a-ti | |
| firewood | *-kwan | *ga-ko | *Aten: a-hwɔ́n | |
| five | *-twon | *-to | * | *-tɔ́ŋ |
| fly (n) | *-tiiŋ | *ì-zuŋ | *-tiiŋ | *-ciNciŋ |
| foot, leg | *-tak | *gu-dak | *-tak | * |
| four | *-nas | *-naŋ | *-nas | *-nas |
| give, to | *wat | *nwak | *nɔk | |
| goat, sheep | *-buon | *ì-bu | *-bwal / *-byal | *ì-ɣo |
| go out, to | *wut | *ɣul+N | *wudu | *ɣur |
| guest | *nyat tien | *u-tsen | *ù-can | |
| hare | *-suom | *u-zo | *u-ɣɔm | |
| head | *-tii | *-tsi | *-twa | *ki-tú |
| hole | *-bwoŋ | *gu-bo | *-boŋ | |
| honey | *-toŋ | *-toŋ | *-toŋ | *ù-tóŋ |
| intestines | *-na | *gu-na | *-la | *ki-ne (belly) |
| iron | *-tuam | *ì-dom | *dyam ? | *Nd: i-Ntom |
| lung | *-pu | *-pu | *-fufu | |
| medicine man | *-bwok | *-bok | *-bok | *-bok |
| moon, month | *-pyan | *-pe | *-pyal | *u-pwa |
| mouth | *-nu | *ga-nyu | *-nu | *-nuŋ / *-nuŋ |
| navel | *-kwap | *u-kwop | *-kop | *ì-kom |
| neck | *-two | *u-to | *-to | *ki-tɔ |
| new | *-pas | *-pa | *-pas | *-pas |
| night | *-tuk | *-tuk | *-tuk | *ka-tụk |
| old | *-kwap | *-kwo | *-kwap | |
| one | *-niiŋ | *-gini | *iniŋ | *-ɣan |
| person | *-nyat | *u-net | *u-nit / *u-nit | |
| pot | *-don | *-rɔ̀n | *ì-ren | |
| press, to | *pi | *pin / *pit | *pi | |
| red | *-sioŋ | *-seŋ | *-sen / *ser | |
| rock | *-paŋ | *ì-paŋ | *ku-páŋ | |
| rope | *-dik | *-lik | *d-w-ik | *-dịk |
| salt | *-twak | *-tok | *-tok | |
| scorpion | *-niaŋ | *ì-naŋ | *-laŋ | *ì-daŋ |
| shave, to | *kwat | *kon | *kwan | |
| shoot, to | *ta | *tat / *taŋ | *ta | *tak |
| sickness | *-dwak | *-do | *u-dɔ | |
| sit, to | *suan | *saŋ | *sɔŋ | |
| skin | *-kua | *-ku | *ku-kpa | |
| sleep, to | *da | *lo | *na | *na |
| smoke | *-tiiŋ | *-zuŋ | *kyeŋ | *-Ntseŋ |
| spear | *-kuan | *ga-kwan | *ì-Nkpaŋ / *-kpat | |
| they | *ba | *ba | *ba | |
| three | *tat | *tat | *tat | *tat |
| tie, to | *dwap | *dwap | *dɔp | |
| tongue | *-dyam | *ga-lem | *-lyam | *ì-rem |
| tooth | *nii | *-gi | *-ɣiŋ | *ki-Nyin / *-Nyir |
| tree | *-kwan | *-kon | *ù-kon | |
| twelve / ten | *-swak | *u-sok | *cok | |
| two | *-pa | *-pa | *-pa / *-ba | *-pah |
| vein / tendon | *tiip | *-tsii | *ku-cip | |
| wash, to | *sua | *sua | *sɔ | |
| water | *-sii | *-sii | *a-ma-sit | |
| weave, to | *nok | *nok | *lwak | *dok |
| work | *tom | *tom+V | *tomo | *u-Ndom |
| yam | *ì-tsit | *-kid | *ì-síṛ | |
| ant sp. | *-suan | *ì-san | ||
| basket | *-seŋ | *ka-saŋ | ||
| chief | *-gwam | *-gwam | ||
| cock | *-guak | *à-gwàk | ||
| cut, to | *pat / *pak | *pàk | ||
| day / sun | *-nwam | *u-nom | ||
| dog | *-bwu | *ì-ɣo | *-bu | *ì-ɣu |
| fat | *-pyap | *ma-pep | ||
| medicine | *-kan | *-kal | ||
| mountain | *i-go | *ì-gwo | ||
| rot(ten) | *po | *bon / *bor | ||
| send, to | *tom | *tom | *to | |
| smell, to | *nuk | *nuŋ |