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 classificationNilo-Saharan?
Subdivisions
Glottologeast2418

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

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
  • Teso–Turkana languages
    • Teso
      • Nyangatom
        • Turkana, Karimojong

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
    • Ongamo–Maa languages
      • Ongamo
        • Maasai
          • Camus, Samburu

Gender Marking

Gender marking through prefixes (or proclitics) on nouns is an innovation in the Eastern Nilotic languages that is not found in the other branches of Nilotic. However, not every Eastern Nilotic language has this feature: for example, Bari does not have it.[1]

Noun Gender Prefixes/Proclitics in Eastern Nilotic Languages
Noun TypeLopitOtuhoMaaAtesoTurkanaBari
Singular - Feminine(ɪ-, na-)a-, ne-ɛn-a-a--
Singular - Masculine(lɔ-)o-, lo-, la-ɔl-e-e--
Singular - Neuter---i-i--
Plural - Feminine(ɪ-, na-)a-, ne-ɪn-ŋa-ŋa--
Plural - Masculine(lɔ-)o-, lo-, la-ɪl-ŋi-ŋi--
Plural - Neuter---ŋi-ŋi--

Comparative vocabulary

Sample basic vocabulary of Eastern Nilotic languages from Vossen (1982):

Languageeyeearnosetoothtonguemouthbloodbonetreewaterto eatname
Proto-Eastern Nilotic*-k₃ɔŋ- / *-k₃ɔɲ-*-ku-me / *-ku-me-t₂ik*-k₃ela-*-ŋa-dʸɛp- / *-ŋa-dʸɛp-a*-k₁ʊ-t₁ʊk-*-(a)k₃ɔt[2]*-k₃oyV-t₁-*-tʸani[3]*-pi-*-ɲa(m)-*-k₃a-rɪn-
Tesoa-kɔ́ŋ-ʊ̀á-kí-te-kúmèe-kíàl-àìá-ŋǎjɛ̀pá-kɪ̀tʊ̀ká-àkɔ́tá-kóì-tɛ́-kɪ́tɔ́-ɪ̀a-ki-píakí-ɲám-àé-kɪ́-rɔ́-rɪ̀
Turkanaá-kɔŋ-ʊá-kí-té-kumeɛ́-kɛl-aɪa-ŋajɛpa-kʊtukŋá-akɔtá-koí-tɛ-kɪtɔ-ɛŋá-kɪpɪakɪ-ɲamɛ́-kɪ-rɔ
Nyangatom-kɔɲaːngɪ-t̪e-kumen-kɛl-ŋajɛb-kutʊːk-qɔtŋ-qöy-ɔŋa-kitɔŋá-kɪ́-pìtɛ-nɛm-kurɔː
Karimojonga-kɔŋ-ua-ki-té-kùméɛ́-qɛ̀l-áea-ŋadyɛ́pa-kit̪ukŋa-akɔɔtá-qɔ̀ɪ́-tɛ-kitɔ-ɪŋa-ki-piʔaki-ɲame-ke-ro
Maasaiɛŋ-kɔŋ-ʊ́ɛŋ-kɪ-ɔɔkeŋ-kuméɔl-alá-ɪ̀ɔl-ŋɛ́jɛ́pɛŋ-kʊ́tʊ́kɔ-sárɠɛ́ol-óì-tòɔl-caníɛŋ-kár-ɛ́a-ɲáɛŋ-kárn-á
Camusŋ-kɔŋ-ʊ́ŋ-ké-okŋ-kawar-íél-alá-ɪ̀l-ŋɛjɛpŋ-kʊtʊ́kl-ɔɗɔ́l-óì-tòl-caníŋ-kár-ɛ́a-ɲáŋ-kárn-á
Sampurŋ-kɔŋ-ʊ́ŋ-kɪ́-yyɔkŋ-kwar-íél-alá-ɪ̀l-ŋɛ́jɛ́pŋ-kʊtʊ́kl-ɔɗɔ́l-óì-tòl-caníŋ-kár-ɛ́a-ɲáŋ-kárn-á
Ongamona-hɔŋ-ʊ́na-ʃɔ́ɔʃaɽ-íéɔ-háa-ɪɔ-ŋɛ́jɛ́β-ɪ́na-kutókna-hɔ́ɔ́t-ʊ́o-hóí-toɔ-ʃɛtána-si-βí-am-/ɲ-na-hárn-á
Lotukoɔ́ɲ-ɛ̀ké-yyòká-ttàrɪ̀álà-ɪ̀ɔ́ŋàjɛ̀pɛ́-ðùkɔ́-ɔ̀ðɔ̀a-xó-tìòá-yyànìá-àr-èá-ŋíyóá-fùrè
Oxorioka-xɔɲ-ɛke-yoka-xar-iɛɔ-xala-iu-ŋadiepa-xutuka-xɔtɔo-xoi-toŋo-xyania-xar-ɛɲoo-furɛ
Lopitxɔɲ-ɛkhí-yókhi-móxalá-tìŋájɛ́pxʊ́tʊ́kxɔ́tɔ́xoɪ́t-òìyyánìhi-ɸí-òŋdáxáɸúré
Dongotonoxɔɲ-ɛkcyɔ̂khí-mèxalá-tɪ̀ŋádɛ́pxʊ́tʊ́kɔ-xɔ́t-ɔ́xoít-òsánìxár-ɪ́ɔ-dɔŋɔ́ɸúrè-ì
Lokoyaa-ɣɔɲ-ɛke-xi-yôko-xi-môŋo-ɣalá-íʊ-ŋájɪ́pa-kʊ́tʊ́ka-ɣɔ́tɔ́ɔ-ɣɔ́t-ɔ̀ŋó-yán-dɪ́ka-ɣar-ɛa-ɲûo-vúré
Barikɔŋ-ɛ́súö̀-tkúmékélêŋɛ́dɛ́pkʊ́tʊ́krɪ́màkuyú-tìòkódínípí-òŋɲésùkarɛ́n
Kakwakɔɲ-ɛ́súèkúmékáláɲɛ́dɛ́pkʊ́tʊ́rɪ́màkʊ́yʊ́kodiŋípíòɲósùkarɛ́n
Kukukɔ́ŋ-ɛ́súö̀-tkumékölö́-ìŋɛ́dɛ́pkʊ́tʊ́kɓíyètkú(y)ú-tö̀nködin-îpí-òŋyésùkarɪ́n
Ngyepukɔŋ-ɛ́súö̀-tkumékölö́-ìŋyɛ́dɛ́pkútúkrɪ́màkuyú-tyòködin-ípí-òŋɲésukarɛ́n
Pöjulukɔŋ-ɪ́nsúö̀-tkumékelêŋyɛ́dɛ́pkutúkrɪ́màkuí-sòködin-ípí-òŋɲésùkarɛ́n
Nyanggwarakɔŋ-ɛ́ʃwö́-tkumékeléŋɛ́dɛ́pkʊ́tʊ́krɪ́màkuyú-tíoködin-ípí-òŋɲésùkarɛ́n
Mondarikɔŋ-ɛ́sʊ́-tkʊmɪ́kɛlɛ́ŋɛ́dɛ́pkʊ́tʊ́krɪ́màkú-cö̀ködíci-píɲö́sútkarɛ́n

See also

Footnotes

  1. Moodie, Jonathan (2020). A grammar of Lopit : an eastern Nilotic language of South Sudan. Leiden. pp. 136–137. ISBN 978-90-04-43067-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. Proto-Teso-Lotuko-Maasai
  3. Proto-Lotuko-Maasai

Bibliography

  • Vossen, Rainer. 1982. The Eastern Nilotes: Linguistic and Historical Reconstructions. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag. ISBN 3-496-00698-6.
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