Appendix:Proto-Benue-Congo reconstructions
Proto-Benue-Congo reconstructions from de Wolf (1971) and Blench (2004) are given below.
de Wolf (1971)
[edit]The following list of Proto-Benue-Congo reconstructions is from de Wolf (1971: 53-59).
| Gloss | Proto-Benue-Congo |
|---|---|
| animal/meat | *-nama |
| arm/hand | *-boko |
| armpit | *-kpakpapa |
| arrow | *-bano |
| back | *-duma |
| bark/husk/skin | *-kpaga |
| bee | *-gwodi |
| beer | *-kiam |
| belly | *-bumu |
| belly | *-mani |
| black | *-zida |
| blood | *-zi |
| blood | *-luŋ |
| body | *-bekot |
| body | *-zudu |
| bone | *-kupe |
| bow | *-tas |
| brains | *-podo |
| breast | *-bani |
| buffalo | *-zati |
| buffalo | *-poŋ |
| calabash | *-kono |
| calabash | *-tema |
| calabash | *-gbede |
| calabash | *-do |
| canoe/boat | *-kpaŋe |
| canoe/boat | *-atumu |
| cat | *-kpandema |
| charcoal | *-kalaŋ |
| charcoal | *-bide |
| charcoal | *-tiadana |
| cheek | *-tama |
| cheek | *-kweŋge |
| chief | *-kwomo |
| chief | *-tudo |
| child], (boy, young man, youth) | *-ŋgwana/*-bana |
| chin | *-leku |
| compound/farm | *-kwan |
| cord/rope/liana | *-digi |
| corpse | *-komon |
| cow | *-nak |
| crab | *-kala |
| crocodile | *-wame |
| crocodile | *-zibu |
| crocodile | *-kute |
| day | *-tien |
| day | *-tiane |
| dew | *-miŋ |
| dew | *-bude |
| drum | *-kama |
| drum | *-bina |
| dust/earth/mud | *-bubu |
| ear | *-tuŋi |
| earth/ground | *-tie |
| egg | *-kiŋ, *-tiŋ |
| elephant | *-ni |
| elephant | *-zon(om) |
| excrements | *-biŋ |
| eye | *-lito |
| face/forehead | *-su |
| fat/grease/oil | *-kud |
| fat/grease/oil | *-nai |
| father | *-itu |
| father (probably with Ø-prefix) | *-tata |
| fear | *-bogo |
| fire | *-zwuŋi |
| fire | *-lilo (±) |
| firewood | *-mwene |
| firewood | *-kwoni |
| firewood | *-tukot |
| fish | *-sidi |
| fish | *-kote |
| fly | *-zin |
| forehead | *-tini |
| forest/bush | *-kodi |
| forest/bush | *-kit (±) |
| forest/bush | *-gbek |
| forest/bush | *-dumo |
| fowl/chicken | *-nkuba |
| fowl/chicken | *-nono |
| friend | *-tiende |
| frog/toad | *-boto |
| gall | *-zili |
| ghost/God/spirit | *-seli |
| goat | *-bwoni |
| goat | *-kpeba |
| goat | *-gbale |
| God | *-base |
| grasshopper | *-tadek |
| grasshopper | *-kiuku |
| groundnut | *-piri (±) |
| guest | *-kena |
| guineafowl | *-kaŋga |
| guineafowl | *-ziŋin |
| hair | *-godo |
| head | *-to |
| headpad | *-kata |
| heart | *-temu |
| heavy | *-tik |
| hide/bark/skin | *-pu (±) |
| hoe | *-gbadi |
| hole/pit | *-bonV (±) |
| honey | *-toŋi |
| horn/tusk | *-tano |
| house | *-ntabu |
| house | *-zu |
| house | *-tumba |
| hunger | *-zana |
| jaw | *-baŋga |
| knee | *-duno |
| knee | *-kudu |
| knife | *-pi |
| leaf | *-wade |
| leg/foot | *-kudu |
| leg/foot | *-kpel (±) |
| leg/foot | *-bona |
| leopard | *-kpoŋi |
| life | *-guma |
| lizard | *-gondol |
| lizard | *-pame |
| load | *-son |
| lung | *-pupu |
| man | *-lume |
| mat | *-putu |
| mat | *-kpaŋga |
| medicine man | *-bok |
| medicine | *-kal |
| milk | *-mino |
| monkey | *-bogu |
| monkey | *-kama |
| month/moon | *-pele |
| month/moon | *-kondi |
| mosquito | *-munan (±) |
| mother | *-nina |
| mother (probably with Ø-prefix) | *-mama |
| mother (your ~) | *-noko |
| mountain | *-kwol |
| mountain | *-bal |
| mushroom | *-gbub (±) |
| nail | *-kiada (±) |
| name | *-zina |
| navel | *-kwop (±) |
| neck/nape | *-melu |
| neck/nape | *-toto |
| night/day | *-tuno |
| nose | *-zua |
| oil/palm oil | *-nawi |
| pain/ache | *-dane |
| palm tree | *-tende |
| palm tree | *-pide |
| palm tree | *-bonu |
| palm wine | *-tuk |
| part/piece | *-tun |
| path/road | *-toku |
| path/road | *-gbenda |
| person | *-neto |
| pestle | *-todi |
| pig | *-kumba |
| pond/pool/lake | *-zugi |
| rain/rainy season | *-bakoli |
| rain/rainy weather | *-mbaŋ |
| river | *-tiana |
| rock/stone | *-tadi |
| rock/stone | *-pandi |
| rock/stone | *-kwata |
| root | *-nan |
| saliva | *-(n)tati |
| salt | *-nunu |
| salt | *-mu |
| scorpion | *-nan |
| scorpion | *-get |
| sheep | *-gun- (±) |
| sheep | *-tiaŋe |
| shoulder | *-peŋga |
| slave | *-kpan |
| slave | *-sam |
| snake | *-noko |
| snake | *-kpi |
| spear | *-kwoŋga |
| stick/whip | *-ti |
| sun | *-zuba |
| sun | *-z(w)ana |
| tail | *-zum |
| tail | *-kila |
| tail | *-tiad |
| tears | *-zini |
| thief | *-zibudi |
| thief | *-taŋ |
| thigh/leg/foot | *-tak |
| thigh | *-nama |
| thing | *-kiaŋ |
| thing | *-goma |
| thorn | *-zibo |
| throat/voice | *-mado |
| throat/voice | *-toŋo |
| throat/voice | *-zosi |
| throat/voice | *-kodoŋ |
| time | *-tani |
| tongue | *-lemi |
| tongue | *-lake |
| tooth | *-nini, *-nino |
| tooth | *-sana |
| tooth | *-gaŋgo (±) |
| tortoise | *-kulu |
| tree | *-titi |
| tree | *-kwon |
| twin | *-pata |
| war/quarrel | *-kondu |
| war/quarrel | *-ta |
| water | *-izi (±) |
| water | *-ni (±) |
| wife | *-nianin |
| wind | *-pepod |
| wing | *-babaŋ, *-pabaŋ |
| witch | *-tieŋu |
| witchcraft | *-tieŋu |
| woman | *-kwazi |
| woman (possibly the same stem as that for mother) | *-nine, *-nene, *-nina |
| work | *-tomo |
| work | *-pone |
| yam | *-kod |
| year | *-zag |
Blench (2004)
[edit]The following list of Proto-Benue-Congo quasi-reconstructions is from Blench (2004).
| Number | Quasi-reconstruction | Gloss |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | #pob- | roast, cook, burn |
| 2. | #du | to fall (as rain) |
| 3. | #eje | food, porridge, to eat |
| 4. | #eje | egg |
| 5. | #yo | to dance, jump |
| 6. | #bu | to roar, groan |
| 7. | #-daN- | fruit-bat |
| 8. | #-dul- | large river |
| 9. | #ZiN | red |
| 10. | #-fu[pu] | handle (of tool etc.) |
| 11. | #-ka- | to break, cut |
| 12. | ekãta | head-pad |
| 13. | #-ka | ring |
| 14. | #-kala | bush, forest |
| 15. | #keNkere | scorpion |
| 16. | #kí | to salute |
| 17. | #-ko | fist |
| 18. | #ko(no) | sing |
| 19. | #-kwo | soap |
| 20. | #-koo | belly |
| 21. | #kpolo | toad |
| 22. | #i-[k]ye[re] | cereal grain |
| 23. | #-kuu | seed |
| 25. | #-tiN | story, riddle |
| 26. | #voN | rot |
| 27. | #a-kpaNVa | bridge |
| 28. | #-ba- | to scold, to ridicule |
| 32. | #bi#b | to slice |
| 36. | #bip- | ask |
| 52. | #-fEN | rat sp. |
| 57. | #-gba | weaver bird |
| 68. | #gbogom- | baboon |
| 70. | #kaNa | roast, fry |
| 78. | #kpa | to think |
| 92. | #-lo | antelope |
| 135. | #wa | to want, desire |
| 145. | #(n)-(g)yati | buffalo |
| 196. | #rV | to rot |
| 204. | #-del | beard |
| 218. | #-mbal- | water |
| 226. | #ta | to think |
| 230. | #-bV | to rot |
| 245. | #-fur- | vagina |
| 293. | #dí | to see, look |
| 87. | #kuS- | to wash |
| 307. | #mana | salt |
References
[edit]- de wolf, Paul. 1971. The Noun-Class System of Proto-Benue-Congo. Janua Linguarum. Series Practica 167. The Hague: Mouton.
- Blench, Roger. 2004. The Benue-Congo languages: a proposed internal classification. Unpublished manuscript.