Nilo-Saharan Languages

Ehret and Bender: two different views

• Reconstruct the family through different methods, and come to different conclusions • Both have positive and negative aspects to their work, but both still appear plausible theories • Both use large lexical bases and pay strong attention to detail

Methodological Differences

•

Bender

• Limited use of morphology in reconstruction • Proposes reconstructed phonology based on averaging of sounds across languages • Uses large amounts of sources •

Ehret

• Reconstructs a variety of proto-forms • Proposes extremely complex proto-phonology • Restricts use of sources, often has only one language source for a whole language family

•

Bender

• More conservative on etymology • Compares words based on similarity in meaning and sound • Does not focus as much on established correspondences • Areal forms excluded •

Ehret

• Possibly over imaginative etymologies • Extremely attentive to phonetic detail • Places high importance on established sound correspondences and proto-phonology • Does not concern with areal forms

Bender’s organization of NS

Songay Saharan Kuliak Nilo-Saharan S-C (Satellite-Core) Satellites Core Maba For (Fur) Central Sudanic Berta Kunama East Sudanic Koman Gumuz Kado

Ehret’s Organization of NS

Nilo-Saharan Sudanic Koman (Includes

Gumuz

) Central Sudanic Northern Sudanic

Kunama

Saharan Ennedian Bodelian

Zaghawa Berti Tibu For Kanuri Songay

Maban

Maba Runga Mimi

Nubian Western Sahelian

Nara

Kir Abbaian* Sahelian Saharo-Sahelian Trans-Sahel Eastern Sahelian

Ik

Western Astaboran Tamam Rub Western Rub

Kir-Abbaian Jebel West Jebel Gaam Cental Jebel Bertha Nuba Mts.

Temein, Jirru Nyimang, Dinik Daju Surmic Surma Nilotic Jii Luo Western Nilotic Jyang Naath Burun Eastern Nilotic Bari Tung’a Ateker Lutokuo-Maa Lotuko Tato Datoga Maa Ongamo Kir Nilotic Southern Nilotic Kalenjin Omotik

Conclusions of comparison?

• There is almost nothing in common!

• They use many different names for sub families, and organize the trees in drastically different ways

The sub families

(as per Bender)

Songai (Songay, Songhai)

– : North and South variants, with 6 and 4 dialects each – Spoken in Mali and Niger – Northern variants hybridized with Berber, Hausa, or Fulani

Saharan

• Kanuri-Kanembu (Borno): Mutually intelligible varieties • Teda: Dialect cluster consisting of North (Teda or Tuda) and South (Daza and Tubu). No single self name • Zagawa-†

Berti

: Northern Zagawa (Zaghawa) known as Bideyat).

Maba(n)

• Bora-Mabang (Maba) • Masalit • Aiki=Runga-Kibet • Mimi of Gaudefroy-Demombynes (Mimi GD) • Mimi of Nachtigal (= Mimi N)

For(an)

• For (Fur): Spoken in Darfur (country of the Fur) in Sudan • Amdang: Spoken in Enclaves in Wadai, Chad border with Sudan, and into Darfur.

Berta

• Berta: dialect cluster in middle Ethio Sudan border Area

Kunama

• Single language spoken in Southern Eritrea

Koman

• Twama (= Uduk) • Komo • Opo-Shita • Kwama • †

Gule

Gumuz

• No single self-name. Spoken in Ethio Sudan border area

Kuliak

• Nyangi: possibly extinct • Ik • Soo • All spoken in Uganda

Kado

• Mudo-Yegang-Kufo • Miri-Talla-Tolibi_Sangali • Krongo-Talsa

East Sudanic

• Sub families Nubian, Surmic, Nera, Jebel, Nyima, Tama, Nilotic (Western, Eastern, and Southern)

Nubian

• Nobiin • Middob • Birgid • Kenzi-Dongola • Hill Nubian: eight dialect with many names

Surmic

• Majang • Murle-Omo Murle-Didinga-Longarim • Bale-Zilmanu-Olam • Mursi • Me’en • Kwegu-Muguji • Shabo (?)

Nera

• Single language, also known as Barya or Barea

• Gaam • Aka • Kelo-Beni-Sheko • Molo

Jebel

• Nyimang • Dinik

Nyima

Temein

• Ronge (Temein) • Doni (= Jirru)-Dese(=Teis or Tesei)

• Tama • Erenga-Sungor • Merarit

Tama

Daju

• Limited knowledge • East: Shatt, Liguri • West: Nyala-Lagowa, Nyolge, Mongo-Sila, and †

Beygo

Nilotic:Western Nilotic

– Northwest Nilotic: Burun, Mebaan – Northern Luo • Colo, Anywa(Anuak, Anyuak), Jur Luo, Turi, Bor – Southern Luo • Acoli, Kumam, Adola, Luo (Kenya Luo) – Dinka-Nuer • Jieng (=Dinka), Naadh (=Nuer), Atuot

Eastern Nilotic

• Bari • Teso-Turkana-Lotuko-Maa – Lotuko-Maa: Lotuko, Maa (Masai, Maasai), Ongamo (Ngasa) – Teso-Turkana: Toposa, Turkana, Teso, Karamojong

South Nilotic

• Omotik-Datooga: Omotik, Datooga • Kalenjin: 4 dialect clusters • Meroitic?

Central Sudanic

• Extremely fragmented, wide distribution, and lack of data make organization of this difficult • Subfamilies Sara-Bagirmi, Bongo, Modo Baka, Moru-Madi, Mangbutu-Efe, Mangbutu-Asua, Kresh, and Badha (Lendu)

Sara-Bagirmi

• Sara: confusing term applying to many peoples. – Sar, Mbay, Barma (Bagirmi), Kuka, Kenga. – Sara-Ngambay: Ngambay, Doba.

– Sara Kaba: Kaba.

– Ruto/Vale • Yulu-Binga • Fongoro • Shemya • Fer

• Single language

Bongo

• B’eli • Baka • Morokodo

Modo-Baka

Moru-Madi

• North(Moru): Moru • Central(Avukaya): Avukaya, Logo, Keliko, High Lugbara, Low Lugbara • South (Madi): Madi

Mangbutu-Efe

• Mangbutu • Ndo • Mamvu-Balese

Mangbetu-Asua

• Mangbetu (Unknown language group) • Asua: Asua (Aka).

• Kresh • Aja

Kresh

• Badha

Badha (Lendu)

Conclusions

• Two scholars came up with drastically different conclusions on the structure of the family – Sign of difficulties with the historical model?

• Much work needs to still be done: entire language families are still missing basic reference grammars