Kordofanian languages

The Kordofanian languages are a geographic grouping of five language groups spoken in the Nuba Mountains of the Kurdufan, Sudan: Talodi–Heiban languages, Lafofa languages, Rashad languages, Katla languages and Kadu languages. The first four groups are sometimes regarded as branches of the hypothetical Niger–Congo family, whereas Kadu is now widely seen as a branch of the proposed Nilo-Saharan family.

Kordofanian
(geographic)
Geographic
distribution
Kurdufan
Linguistic classificationNiger-Congo?
  • Kordofanian
Subdivisions
ISO 639-5kdo
GlottologNone

History

In 1963, Joseph Greenberg added them to the Niger–Congo family, creating his Niger–Kordofanian proposal. The Kordofanian languages have not been shown to be more distantly related than other branches of Niger–Congo, however, and they have not been shown to constitute a valid group. Today, the Kadu languages are excluded, and the others are usually included in Niger–Congo proper.

Roger Blench notes that the Talodi and Heiban families have the noun class systems characteristic of the Atlantic–Congo core of Niger–Congo but that the two Katla languages have no trace of ever having had such a system. However, the Kadu languages and some of the Rashad languages appear to have acquired noun classes as part of a Sprachbund rather than having inherited them. Blench concludes that Talodi and Heiban are core Niger–Congo whereas Katla and Rashad form a peripheral branch along the lines of Mande.

Heiban, Katloid, and Talodi are also grouped together in an automated computational analysis (ASJP 4) by Müller et al. (2013).[1] However, since the analysis was automatically generated, the grouping could be either due to mutual lexical borrowing or genetic inheritance.

Map of the language families, subfamilies, and languages spoken in the Nuba Mountains

Talodi–Heiban languages

The Heiban languages, also called Koalib or Koalib–Moro, and the Talodi languages, also called Talodi–Masakin, are part of the Talodi–Heiban group.[2]

Lafofa languages

Lafofa (Tegem) was for a time classified with Talodi, but appears to be a separate branch of Niger–Congo.

Rashad languages

The number of Rashad languages, also called Tegali–Tagoi, varies among descriptions, from two (Williamson & Blench 2000), three (Ethnologue), to eight (Blench ms). Tagoi has a noun-class system like the Atlantic–Congo languages, which is apparently borrowed, but Tegali does not.

Katla languages

The two Katla languages have no trace of ever having had a Niger–Congo-type noun-class system.

Kadu languages

Since the work of Thilo Schadeberg in 1981, the "Tumtum" or Kadu branch is now widely seen as Nilo-Saharan. However, the evidence is slight, and a conservative classification would treat it as an independent family.

Reconstruction

Quint (2020) suggests that Proto-Kordofanian can be reconstructed from the Heibanian, Talodian, Rashadian, Katloid, and Lafofa languages. His Proto-Kordofanian reconstructions are as follows:[3]

GlossProto-KordofanianTalodianHeibanianLafofaKatloid (Tima)Rashadian
bark 1 (n.) *-mVk- *t-ə-mək Koalib kìmùukùl [kìmùugùl] Orig kìmbàkɔ́l
bark 2 (n.) *k(V)VrE ~ *c(V)VrE c-iíri kúúr *g-ware
beat / hit *-bV- *-gob- / *kə-bɔ *-bid̪- ...biŋ Orig bí(r) / pù(ró)
belly *-VrVk ~ *-VɽVk *j-+-arag / *ca-rək *g-+-aare t̪-úur-i kúɽúún
bite / eat *-CVk *-gVjog / *kə-ɟɔ *-iy- ...jiɛ *yɛk
blood *(C)iCPV *ŋ-+-ittsug / *ŋ-ɪccʊk Katla ija ~ iya Rashad wiya
breast *CVmiC *j-+-intsig / *c-ə-mmik Tima kɨ̀míndì *d-miɲ
clothes *kErEC *k-ɛrɛt̪ *g-+-ered̪ Tagoi kɛr(ɛ́)w
dry *-OndV *-an d̪o *-unDo *-uddi
ear *kVnV *g-+-eenu / *k-ɛnu *g- / n-+-aani kɔ́.nɔ̀ Tagoi finin, Tegali (a)nuu
elephant *-VŋV(C) *d-+-oŋor yuːŋi *(fV)ŋVn
eye *?+-git *j-+-igg / *c-it Katla gɨgöt *y-ngid
foot / leg *-AkA(C) *ts-+-agag Koalib káakà [káagà] l-ia-ga *d-ɛgɛn
goat *Em(b)iT *w-+-emig / *u-mit ɛɛmi Tima címìd̪ *mbɨt
green / wet *-iklV ~ *ijlV *-iigla b-ʊ́ɒji-lli Tagoi -ijilú, Tegali -rígɛ̂l
hair *kaam ~ *gaam *d-+-ʊgaŋ / *NC-ŋən̪ Tima káàm *g-aam
head *gaCDP ~ *CPaCDP *j-+-ats, *c-ac Katla gas *g-aj
left (side) *-CVul- ~ *-CVur- *-gule / *-gulɛ *-awur kúlɪ *-awwir
mud *-ElO Koalib kèlòo Tima k-ʌ́ʌ́lu Orig ŋí̧lɔ́
near *-Et̪t̪OC *-iddu / *-t̪t̪o-t Koalib kɛ́ttɔ̀k [kɛ́t̪t̪ɔ̀k] Tima mɛ̀t̪ɛ́n Tagoi gattɔŋ / tɔgɔt
one *attV ~ *addV *-aDDe Tima àtíín Orig wàttá
rain *kaw ~ *kal *k-abɪk *g-+-aw k-állɔ́-y *(y)au
red *-OrdE *-oode[4] / *-d̪ɛ *-UUre Tima -rdí *-araw
sheep *kACVAC *t̪ʊ-ŋgat̪ Koalib káaŋàl βaːŋi (k)áŋàl Orig kàgóy
smoke (n.) *-uCLVBbV *g-+-ulu c-oor-í kʊ̀ʊ̀ɽʊ́n Tagoi k(ə)rək, Tegali tulɛ́
sun *-VCNV *j-+-iŋgi, *c-ə-ŋgi Ø-+*-aŋin kínèè *-aane
tongue *-d̪Vŋl(V) ~ *-d̪VlVŋ(V) *d̪-+-(V)lVŋe / *tʊ-ləŋɛ d̪-+*-ŋela l-íáŋ-i kìlíŋíì *d-aŋil(-ag)
vomit *-UdA ~ *-UwA -VddV / *uk-dɛ *-wey- lwâ-d̪aŋ... lwa -húwʌ̀ *VdVk

Comparative vocabulary

Sample basic vocabulary of the Heiban, Talodi, Rashad, and Lafofa branches:

Note: In table cells with slashes, the singular form is given before the slash, while the plural form follows the slash.

Languageeyeearnosetoothtonguemouthbloodbonetreewatereatname
Proto-Heiban[5]*ay / g-,j-*-aani*-ad̪alo / g-,j-; g-,n-*-ŋad̪ / li-,j-*-ŋela; *-iŋla ? / D-,d-*-uuɲu*-win / ŋ-*-uya / li-,ŋu- (WC); *-uɲ / ʔ-,j- (E)*-aaɽe / gu-,j- (WC)*-aw / ŋ-*-id̪d̪-*-iriɲ / j-
Proto-Talodi[6]*c-it / k-*k-ɛnu / 0-*k-ə-ɲɟɛ / 0-,n-*c-ə-ɲit / k-*tʊ̪ -ləŋɛ / ḷə-*t-̪ ɔn̪ / ḷ-*ŋ-ɪccʊk*c-ə-mma-ɲan̪ / m-*p-ɪda / k-*ŋ-ɪḷ,-ɪḷɪ*ḷə-ɡɔ*k-ə-ḷəŋan / 0- (or *...n̪)
Proto-Katloid[7]*g-ɪgɛd̪*-ɔnɔ*gɪ-lɛd̪*-laŋɛd̪*i-ju(u)*-ʌ-lV-
Tagoi[8]yígət / ŋə́gətfənín / fənédityídir / ŋə́dərtíɲən / ŋə́ɲəntáŋə́lak / yáŋə́lágɒtkajər / hájɛrətŋɔ́ykuh / huhkafɔ́ / hafɔ́ŋayyɛkpəŋən / fəŋən
Turjok[8]íŋgət / ŋ̀gətfəniín / fəníínətindər / ŋəndərM. tiɲin / ŋiɲintaŋəlk / yaŋəlak ~ yaŋəlɒgɔtkiɲjɛr / siɲjɛr(g)ɔtŋɔ́ykus / suskafɔ / safɔ́ŋaaypɛŋɛn / sɛŋɛn
Tagom[8]ŋgə́t̚ / ŋgə́denu ~ nũũ / núun ~ anuunndr̀ / ndr̀reɲîn / ɲîneaŋa / aŋún̩ɲjár / (a)ɲjáreóyá / óyo̍nuru / urûnlás / lásɛegayɛkɛŋɛn / ɛŋɛnɛ́ɛn
Tegem[9]ṭ-ì, ʤ-ì / m-kә́-ràŋ(ì) / a-ṭ-ɛ̀ɲ(ì) / k-l-iәŋ(ì)k-ɛɲi / ɛɲiɲɪ̀ṭ-uɔ̀m(ì) / m-kuwö(ì) / bɔɔ(ì)ɲììkɪ́rɪ̀kku-ruwә̀ŋ / a-
El Amira[9]lilaŋ / ɲimaŋwimut-aɲ / k-liŋkiɲɲituwamkwaɲipalith

Numerals

Comparison of numerals in individual languages:[10]

ClassificationLanguage12345678910
KatlaKatlaʈíʈʌ́kcíkʌ̀t̪ʌ́t̪ʌ̀ɡʌ́lʌ̀mɟɔ́ɡ͡bə́lɪ́nɟɔ́lʈɪ́nɟɔ́lɪ́kt̪ʌ́ŋɡɪ̀lɟʌ́lbʌ̀ʈɪ́nràk͡pác
KatlaTimaʌt̪een / at̪ɪɪniheekihwʌyihʌlʌmiduliinɪntədakwalɔŋɪnt̪at̪ɪŋɛɛlɪnt̪ɪŋɛrɛyint̪ʌhʌdʌkunihedʌkún
RashadTagoi (Orig)-wàttá / ùttáwùkkókwìttáwàrʊ̀mwʊ̧ràmɲérérʊ̀mʊ̀rɡʊ́tùppákʊ́mnàsá(n)kʊ́mán
RashadTegalim̪t̪arəkkʊ / rʊkkʊd̪akt̪a / d̪at̪t̪aaːrəmʊmməɲeˑɽeʊmmərkʊduˑpˑafəŋɪsanfəŋən
HeibanWarnang (Werni/Wernang)ŋɔ̀ʈʈɔ́rŋèrccáccényŋèrrátténŋèlàmlàŋŋera ŋoʈʈorŋera ŋoʈʈor ŋemabolo ŋoʈʈor (5+1?)ŋera ŋoʈʈor ŋemabolo ŋèrccáccény (5+2?)ŋelamlaaŋɔ (4 x 2 ?)ŋera ŋoʈʈor wanoe (1- ?)kiccukurrɐ
HeibanMoroɡóntolə́ɡə́tʃanlə́ɡɪ́tʃɪnmárlonðénə́ŋðénə́ŋ nəɡónto (5+ 1)ðénə́ŋ lə́ɡə́tʃan (5+ 2)ðénə́ŋ lə́ɡɪ́tʃan (5+ 3)ðénə́ŋ nəmárlon (5+ 4)rɛ́θ
HeibanTirakɛ̀nːɛkɪ̀ɽɪcànkɪ̀ɽɪcɪ́nmaɬɽʊ̀ðɛ́nɛ̀ɽɪ̀cín ɽɪ̀cɪ̀n (3+3)maɬɽʊ kɪ̀ɽɪcɪ̀n (4+3)ɔ́bːɔ̀ðɛ́nɛ̀ n̪maɬɽʊ̀ (5+4)ʊ́rːɪ̀
HeibanLarokʷɛ̀tɛ̀rɔ́mtə̀ɽìlkʷɔ̀ɾɔ̀ŋɔ́tʊ̀dìníɲə̀rlə̀lkʷɔ̀ɾátə̀ɾìl (4+3)ɗúbə̀tʊ̀dìní kʷɔ̀ɾɔ̀ŋɔ́ (5+ 4)
HeibanOtorowɛ̀dɔ́ŋkútènt̪èɽelkɔ̀ɽɔŋt̪ɔ̀ðːnɛɲɛ̄ɽɛlkɔ̀ɽɔ t̪eɽel (4+3)dúbət̪ɔ́ðːnɛ́ kɔ̀ɽɔŋ (5+ 4)dìː
HeibanKoalib (1)kwɛ́t:ɛkwiɽíntɛjɪɾkɔɽŋɔntuðníɲiɾlílkunəðɗuβəɗuβaβuŋakunəðɗiɗí
HeibanKoalib (2)-ɛ̀t̪t̪ɛ̀-iɽɐntɔɔɽɔltwaɽŋantoðneɲerlelɗòvɔ̀kkwóɽɔ̀nɗòvɔ̀kkwóppàkwúnɐ̀ttùrrírúi
TalodiDagikj-ɜlːʊj-ɛːɽaj-ɜt̪ːɜk̚bɽandɔsi-s-ɜlːʊ (litː one hand)na-j-ɜlːʊ (5 + 1)na j-ɛːɽa (5 + 2)na j-ɜt̪ːɜk̚ (5 + 3)na bɽandɔ (5 + 4)n̪ipɽa
TalodiAcheronbullukweɽʌkwʌt̪t̪ʌkbɽandozəɡuŋ zulluk (lit: 'one hand')zəɡuŋ zulluk na bulluk (5 + 1)zəɡuŋ zulluk na weɽʌk (5 + 2)zəɡuŋ zulluk na wʌt̪t̪ʌk (5 + 3)zəɡuŋ zulluk na bɽando (5 + 4)ɡurruŋ
TalodiLumuncʊ́lʊ́kʊ̂mɛ̀ɽámɽaβʊ́ɾʊ̀kmɔ́ʲɔ̀ɽɪ̀nmʊ́ɣʊ́lʊ̀kmɽakʊ́ɾʊ̀kmɛ́ɽɛ̀ɽàβʊ́ɾʊ̂k ( 3) ?mámɔ̀ɾmɔ̀ɾ (2 x 4) ?mʊ́ɣʊ́lláʲɔ̀ɽɪ̀n (5 + 4)mɑ̀tul

See also

References

  1. Müller, André, Viveka Velupillai, Søren Wichmann, Cecil H. Brown, Eric W. Holman, Sebastian Sauppe, Pamela Brown, Harald Hammarström, Oleg Belyaev, Johann-Mattis List, Dik Bakker, Dmitri Egorov, Matthias Urban, Robert Mailhammer, Matthew S. Dryer, Evgenia Korovina, David Beck, Helen Geyer, Pattie Epps, Anthony Grant, and Pilar Valenzuela. 2013. ASJP World Language Trees of Lexical Similarity: Version 4 (October 2013).
  2. Gerrit Dimmendaal, 2008. "Language Ecology and Linguistic Diversity on the African Continent", Language and Linguistics Compass 2/5:842.
  3. Quint, Nicolas (2020). In: Vossen, Rainer and Gerrit J. Dimmendaal (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of African Languages, 239-268. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  4. Schadeberg, Thilo C. 1981. A Survey of Kordofanian Vol 2: The Talodi Group. (Sprache und Geschichte in Afrika: Beiheft, 2.) Hamburg: Helmut Buske. 175pp.
  5. Schadeberg, Thilo C. 1981. A Survey of Kordofanian. Volume 1: The Heiban Group. Hamburg: Helmut Buske.
  6. Norton, Russell, and Thomas Kuku Alaki. 2015. The Talodi Languages: A Comparative-Historical Analysis. Occasional papers in the study of Sudanese languages 11:31-161.
  7. Dimmendaal, Gerrit J. 2019 (in press). Reconstructing Katloid and deconstructing Kordofanian. In: Schneider-Blum et al. (eds.): Nuba Mountain Languages Studies 3. Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe.
  8. Schadeberg, Thilo. 2013. Rashad survey data. In Roger Blench & Thilo Schadeberg (eds), Nuba Mountain Language Studies. Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe. pp.325-345.
  9. Blench, Roger. 2016. Tegem-Amira: a previously unrecognised subgroup of Niger-Congo.
  10. Chan, Eugene (2019). "The Niger-Congo Language Phylum". Numeral Systems of the World's Languages.

Bibliography

  • Herman Bell. 1995. The Nuba Mountains: Who Spoke What in 1976? (archive link). Being a study of the published results from a major project of the Institute of African and Asian Studies: the Language Survey of the Nuba Mountains.
  • Roger Blench. Unpublished. Does Kordofanian constitute a group and if not, where does its languages fit into Niger-Congo?
  • Roger Blench. Unpublished. Kordofanian and Niger–Congo: new and revised lexical evidence.
  • Roger Blench, 2011, Should Kordofanian be split up?, Nuba Hills Conference, Leiden
  • P. A. and D. N. MacDiarmid. 1931. "The languages of the Nuba Mountains." Sudan Notes and Records 14: 149-162.
  • Carl Meinhof. 1915-1919. "Sprachstudien im egyptischen Sudan". Zeitschrift für Kolonialsprachen 9-9. "1. Tagoy." 6: 164-161. "2. Tumale". 6:182-205. "11. Tegele." 7:110-131. "12. Rashad." 7:132.
  • Thilo C. Schadeberg. 1981a. A survey of Kordofanian. SUGIA Beiheft 1-2. Hamburg:Helmut Buske Verlag.
  • Thilo C. Schadeberg. 1981b. "Das Kordofanische". Die Sprachen Afrikas. Band 1: Niger–Kordofanisch, ed. by Bernd Heine, T. C. Schadeberg, Ekkehard Wolff, pp. 117–28 SUGIA Beiheft 1-2. Hamburg:Helmut Buske Verlag.
  • Thilo C. Schadeberg. 1981c. "The classification of the Kadugli language group". Nilo-Saharan, ed. by T. C. Schadeberg and M. Lionel Bender, pp. 291–305. Dordrecht: Foris Publications.
  • Brenda Z. Seligmann. 1910-11. "Note on the language of the Nubas of Southern Kordofan." Zeitschrift für Kolonialsprachen 1:167-188.
  • Roland C. Stevenson. 1956-57. "A survey of the phonetics and grammatical structure of the Nuba Mountains languages, with particular reference to Otoro, Katcha, and Nyimang." Afrika und Übersee 40:73-84, 93-115; 41:27-65, 117-152, 171-196.
  • Tucker, A. N. and M. A. Bryan. 1956. The Non-Bantu Languages of North-Eastern Africa. (Handbook of African Languages, Part III.) Oxford University Press: London.
  • A. N. Tucker and M. A. Bryan. 1966. Linguistic Analyses/The Non-Bantu Languages of North-Eastern Africa. (Handbook of African Languages.) Oxford University Press: London.
  • Tutschek, Lorenz. 1848. "Über die Tumale-Sprache." Gelehrte Anzeigen, herausgegeben von Mitgliedern der k. bayer. Akademie der Wissenschaften. Nrs. 91-93; Spalten 729-52. (=Bulletin der königl. Akademie der Wissenschaften. Nrs. 29-31.)
  • Tutschek, Lorenz.. 1848-50. "On the Tumali language". Proceedings of the Philological Society for 1846-47 and 1847-48. Vol 3:239-54. Proceedings of the Philological Society for 1848-49 and 1849-50. Vol. 4:138-9.

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