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 overimaginative
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
Nilo-Saharan
Songay
Saharan
Kuliak
S-C (Satellite-Core)
Satellites
Maba For (Fur) Central Berta Kunama
Sudanic
Core
East Koman Gumuz Kado
Sudanic
Ehret’s Organization of NS
Nilo-Saharan
Sudanic
Koman
(Includes Gumuz)
Central Sudanic
Northern Sudanic
Kunama
Saharo-Sahelian
Sahelian
Saharan
For
Ennedian Bodelian
Zaghawa Berti
Songay
Tibu
Kanuri
Western
Sahelian
Nara
Maban
Maba Runga
Trans-Sahel
Mimi
Nubian
Eastern
Sahelian
Western
Astaboran
Tamam
KirAbbaian*
Rub
Ik
Western
Rub
Kir-Abbaian
Jebel
West Jebel
Gaam
Kir
Bertha
Cental
Jebel
Western Nilotic
Jii
Luo
Burun
JyangNaath
Nuba Mts.
Daju
SurmaNilotic
Temein, Nyimang,
Jirru
Dinik
Surmic
Eastern Nilotic
Bari
Southern Nilotic
Tung’a
Ateker
Tato
Lutokuo-Maa
Lotuko
Nilotic
Datoga
MaaOngamo
Kalenjin
Omotik
Conclusions of comparison?
• There is almost nothing in common!
• They use many different names for subfamilies, 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 EthioSudan border Area
Kunama
• Single language spoken in Southern
Eritrea
Koman
•
•
•
•
•
Twama (= Uduk)
Komo
Opo-Shita
Kwama
†Gule
Gumuz
• No single self-name. Spoken in EthioSudan 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
Jebel
•
•
•
•
Gaam
Aka
Kelo-Beni-Sheko
Molo
Nyima
• Nyimang
• Dinik
Temein
• Ronge (Temein)
• Doni (= Jirru)-Dese(=Teis or Tesei)
Tama
• Tama
• Erenga-Sungor
• Merarit
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, ModoBaka, 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
Bongo
• Single language
Modo-Baka
• B’eli
• Baka
• Morokodo
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
• Kresh
• Aja
Badha (Lendu)
• Badha
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