Eastern Nilotic languages
The Eastern Nilotic languages are one of the three primary branches of the Nilotic languages, themselves belonging to the Eastern Sudanic subfamily of Nilo-Saharan; they are believed to have begun to diverge about 3,000 years ago, and have spread southwards from an original home in Equatoria in South Sudan. They are spoken across a large area in East Africa, ranging from Equatoria to the highlands of Tanzania. Their speakers are mostly cattle herders living in semi-arid or arid plains.
| Eastern Nilotic | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | southwestern Ethiopia, eastern South Sudan, northeastern Uganda, western Kenya, northern Tanzania |
| Linguistic classification | Nilo-Saharan?
|
| Subdivisions | |
| Glottolog | east2418 |
Classification
According to Vossen (1982), the Eastern Nilotic languages are basically classified as follows by the comparative method. Vossen (1982) also provides a reconstruction of Proto-Eastern Nilotic.
- Eastern Nilotic
- Bari languages
- Teso–Lotuko–Maa:
- Teso–Turkana (or Ateker; incl. Karimojong)
- Lotuko–Maa:
- Lotuko languages
- Ongamo–Maa
- Ongamo language
- Maa languages
- Maasai language (see also Mukogodo-Maasai)
- Camus language
- Samburu language (see also Elmolo-Samburu)
It is generally agreed upon that Bari forms a primary branch, but lower-level splits are less clear.
Swadesh approach (Vossen 1982)
Vossen's classification using the Swadesh approach is as follows (Vossen 1982:114).
- Eastern Nilotic
- Bari languages
- Mondari
- Kakwa
- Nyanggwara
- Kuku
- Pöjulu
- Ngyepu
- Bari
- Lotuko–Maa languages
- Lotuko languages
- Lopit, Dongotono
- Lotuko, Lokoya
- Ongamo–Maa languages
- Ongamo
- Maasai
- Camus, Samburu
- Maasai
- Ongamo
- Lotuko languages
- Teso–Turkana languages
- Teso
- Nyangatom
- Turkana, Karimojong
- Nyangatom
- Teso
Gleason approach (Vossen 1982)
Vossen's classification using the Gleason approach is as follows (Vossen 1982:119).
- Eastern Nilotic
- Bari languages
- Kuku, Ngyepu
- Pöjulu
- Kakwa
- Bari
- Nyanggwara, Mondari
- Lotuko languages
- Lopit, Dongotono
- Lotuko, Lokoya
- Teso–Turkana languages
- Nyangatom
- Teso
- Turkana, Karimojong
- Teso
- Ongamo–Maa languages
- Ongamo
- Maasai
- Camus, Samburu
- Maasai
- Ongamo
- Nyangatom
Comparative vocabulary
Sample basic vocabulary of Eastern Nilotic languages from Vossen (1982):
| Language | eye | ear | nose | tooth | tongue | mouth | blood | bone | tree | water | to eat | name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proto-Eastern Nilotic | *-k₃ɔŋ- / *-k₃ɔɲ- | *-ku-me / *-ku-me-t₂ik | *-k₃ela- | *-ŋa-dʸɛp- / *-ŋa-dʸɛp-a | *-k₁ʊ-t₁ʊk- | *-(a)k₃ɔt[1] | *-k₃oyV-t₁- | *-tʸani[2] | *-pi- | *-ɲa(m)- | *-k₃a-rɪn- | |
| Teso | a-kɔ́ŋ-ʊ̀ | á-kí-t | e-kúmè | e-kíàl-àì | á-ŋǎjɛ̀p | á-kɪ̀tʊ̀k | á-àkɔ́t | á-kóì-t | ɛ́-kɪ́tɔ́-ɪ̀ | a-ki-pí | akí-ɲám-à | é-kɪ́-rɔ́-rɪ̀ |
| Turkana | á-kɔŋ-ʊ | á-kí-t | é-kume | ɛ́-kɛl-aɪ | a-ŋajɛp | a-kʊtuk | ŋá-akɔt | á-koí-t | ɛ-kɪtɔ-ɛ | ŋá-kɪpɪ | akɪ-ɲam | ɛ́-kɪ-rɔ |
| Nyangatom | -kɔɲaːn | gɪ-t̪e | -kume | n-kɛl | -ŋajɛb | -kutʊːk | -qɔt | ŋ-qöy-ɔ | ŋa-kitɔ | ŋá-kɪ́-pì | tɛ-nɛm | -kurɔː |
| Karimojong | a-kɔŋ-u | a-ki-t | é-kùmé | ɛ́-qɛ̀l-áe | a-ŋadyɛ́p | a-kit̪uk | ŋa-akɔɔt | á-qɔ̀ɪ́-t | ɛ-kitɔ-ɪ | ŋa-ki-piʔ | aki-ɲam | e-ke-ro |
| Maasai | ɛŋ-kɔŋ-ʊ́ | ɛŋ-kɪ-ɔɔk | eŋ-kumé | ɔl-alá-ɪ̀ | ɔl-ŋɛ́jɛ́p | ɛŋ-kʊ́tʊ́k | ɔ-sárɠɛ́ | ol-óì-tò | ɔl-caní | ɛŋ-kár-ɛ́ | a-ɲá | ɛŋ-kárn-á |
| Camus | ŋ-kɔŋ-ʊ́ | ŋ-ké-ok | ŋ-kawar-íé | l-alá-ɪ̀ | l-ŋɛjɛp | ŋ-kʊtʊ́k | l-ɔɗɔ́ | l-óì-tò | l-caní | ŋ-kár-ɛ́ | a-ɲá | ŋ-kárn-á |
| Sampur | ŋ-kɔŋ-ʊ́ | ŋ-kɪ́-yyɔk | ŋ-kwar-íé | l-alá-ɪ̀ | l-ŋɛ́jɛ́p | ŋ-kʊtʊ́k | l-ɔɗɔ́ | l-óì-tò | l-caní | ŋ-kár-ɛ́ | a-ɲá | ŋ-kárn-á |
| Ongamo | na-hɔŋ-ʊ́ | na-ʃɔ́ɔ | ʃaɽ-íé | ɔ-háa-ɪ | ɔ-ŋɛ́jɛ́β-ɪ́ | na-kutók | na-hɔ́ɔ́t-ʊ́ | o-hóí-to | ɔ-ʃɛtá | na-si-βí | -am-/ɲ- | na-hárn-á |
| Lotuko | ɔ́ɲ-ɛ̀k | é-yyòk | á-ttàrɪ̀ | álà-ɪ̀ | ɔ́ŋàjɛ̀p | ɛ́-ðùk | ɔ́-ɔ̀ðɔ̀ | a-xó-tìò | á-yyànì | á-àr-è | á-ŋíyó | á-fùrè |
| Oxoriok | a-xɔɲ-ɛk | e-yok | a-xar-iɛ | ɔ-xala-i | u-ŋadiep | a-xutuk | a-xɔtɔ | o-xoi-toŋ | o-xyani | a-xar-ɛ | ɲo | o-furɛ |
| Lopit | xɔɲ-ɛk | hí-yók | hi-mó | xalá-tì | ŋájɛ́p | xʊ́tʊ́k | xɔ́tɔ́ | xoɪ́t-òì | yyánì | hi-ɸí-òŋ | dáxá | ɸúré |
| Dongotono | xɔɲ-ɛk | cyɔ̂k | hí-mè | xalá-tɪ̀ | ŋádɛ́p | xʊ́tʊ́k | ɔ-xɔ́t-ɔ́ | xoít-ò | sánì | xár-ɪ́ | ɔ-dɔŋɔ́ | ɸúrè-ì |
| Lokoya | a-ɣɔɲ-ɛk | e-xi-yôk | o-xi-môŋ | o-ɣalá-í | ʊ-ŋájɪ́p | a-kʊ́tʊ́k | a-ɣɔ́tɔ́ | ɔ-ɣɔ́t-ɔ̀ŋ | ó-yán-dɪ́k | a-ɣar-ɛ | a-ɲû | o-vúré |
| Bari | kɔŋ-ɛ́ | súö̀-t | kúmé | kélê | ŋɛ́dɛ́p | kʊ́tʊ́k | rɪ́mà | kuyú-tìò | kódíní | pí-òŋ | ɲésù | karɛ́n |
| Kakwa | kɔɲ-ɛ́ | súè | kúmé | kálá | ɲɛ́dɛ́p | kʊ́tʊ́ | rɪ́mà | kʊ́yʊ́ | kodiŋí | píò | ɲósù | karɛ́n |
| Kuku | kɔ́ŋ-ɛ́ | súö̀-t | kumé | kölö́-ì | ŋɛ́dɛ́p | kʊ́tʊ́k | ɓíyèt | kú(y)ú-tö̀n | ködin-î | pí-òŋ | yésù | karɪ́n |
| Ngyepu | kɔŋ-ɛ́ | súö̀-t | kumé | kölö́-ì | ŋyɛ́dɛ́p | kútúk | rɪ́mà | kuyú-tyò | ködin-í | pí-òŋ | ɲésu | karɛ́n |
| Pöjulu | kɔŋ-ɪ́n | súö̀-t | kumé | kelê | ŋyɛ́dɛ́p | kutúk | rɪ́mà | kuí-sò | ködin-í | pí-òŋ | ɲésù | karɛ́n |
| Nyanggwara | kɔŋ-ɛ́ | ʃwö́-t | kumé | kelé | ŋɛ́dɛ́p | kʊ́tʊ́k | rɪ́mà | kuyú-tío | ködin-í | pí-òŋ | ɲésù | karɛ́n |
| Mondari | kɔŋ-ɛ́ | sʊ́-t | kʊmɪ́ | kɛlɛ́ | ŋɛ́dɛ́p | kʊ́tʊ́k | rɪ́mà | kú-cö̀ | ködí | ci-pí | ɲö́sút | karɛ́n |
See also
- Languages of Tanzania
- Languages of South Sudan
- Serengeti-Dorobo language, of which at least the numeral system is Eastern or Southern Nilotic
- List of Proto-Eastern Nilotic reconstructions (Wiktionary)
Footnotes
- Proto-Teso-Lotuko-Maasai
- Proto-Lotuko-Maasai
Bibliography
- Vossen, Rainer. 1982. The Eastern Nilotes: Linguistic and Historical Reconstructions. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag. ISBN 3-496-00698-6.
External links
- A Classified Vocabulary of the Turkana in Northwestern Kenya, by Itaru Ohta, 1989.
- Vowel Harmony and Cyclicity in Eastern Nilotic, Eric Bakovic
- The Consequences of Microvariation in Eastern Nilotic, Eric Bakovic