Language Documentation of Mbula: A Phonological and Morphological Description of an Endangered Language in Taraba State

This study provides a systematic phonological and morphological description of Mbula, an endangered language spoken in Taraba State, North East Nigeria. Mbula is classified as a Chadic language within the Afro-Asiatic family, yet it lacks any published comprehensive grammatical description, and with fewer than 5,000 estimated speakers, the language faces the risk of extinction within two to three generations without active documentation. The research adopts a descriptive documentary linguistics methodology following best practices established in the ELDP (Endangered Languages Documentation Programme) framework. Fieldwork was conducted over twelve weeks in four Mbula-speaking communities, with data collected from 25 native speakers across three age cohorts through elicitation, naturalistic recording, and metalinguistic consultation. The phonological analysis documents the consonant and vowel inventory, syllable structure, and tonal system of Mbula. The morphological analysis describes noun class morphology, verb inflection, aspect-tense marking, and derivational processes. Findings reveal a complex tonal morphology system interacting with verb aspect marking in ways that distinguish Mbula from better-documented neighbouring Chadic languages, contributing to the typological understanding of Chadic verb morphology. The study produces a primary data archive and formal grammatical description that can serve as a foundation for subsequent literacy work and community language programmes. Keywords: language documentation, Mbula, Chadic, Taraba State, endangered language.