Appendix:Proto-Niger-Saharan reconstructions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Niger-Saharan, a language macrofamily linking the Niger-Congo and Nilo-Saharan phyla, was proposed by Blench (2006).[1] It is highly controversial and not accepted by mainstream linguistics.
Classification[edit]
- Proto-Niger-Saharan
Typological features[edit]
According to Blench (2006), typological features common to both Niger-Congo and Nilo-Saharan include:
- Phonology: ATR vowel harmony and the labial-velars /kp/ and /gb/
- Noun-class affixes: e.g., ma- affix for mass nouns in Nilo-Saharan
- Verbal extensions and plural verbs
Lexicon[edit]
Proto-Niger-Saharan quasi-reconstructions proposed by Blench (2006):
| Gloss | Proto-Niger-Saharan | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| arm, hand, shoulder | #-bVkV | |
| two, twins | #-bale | |
| hole, hollow | #buru | |
| white | #bulu | |
| tongue | #deNe | |
| throat, voice, neck | #goro | |
| thorn | #kaN- | |
| to count | #kaNa | |
| charcoal | #kili | |
| to go | #ko | |
| round, circle | #koro | |
| house, single room | #-kul- | |
| knee | #kulu | |
| navel, belly | #kum | |
| firewood | #-kan(d)i | |
| stone, hill | #kur | |
| four | #naN | |
| to build | #tum | |
| bone | #-kub- | |
| fat, oil, grease | #mor- | |
| to bite | #-doNa | |
| tooth | #nyi | |
| female breast | #(m)ba(CV) | |
| ten | #-pu | |
| word, to say | #tarV | |
| canoe | #yɛtɪ | |
| white | #bV(n)t- | |
| fire | #isi | |
| pig (wild types) | #-kutu | |
| dog | #-si | |
| tortoise, turtle | #kuru | |
| to cough | #kpa | ideophonic derivation |
| to fly, jump | #pur- | ideophonic derivation |
| be black | #bi | ideophonic derivation |
| child (give birth) | #bi | |
| to dance, sing, play | #biŋ | |
| come | #ɓwoN | |
| to cut, split | #deŋ- | |
| rat/mouse | #-fil- | |
| one | #kVnV | |
| die, kill | #kui | |
| buy, sell | #la | |
| to give | #nyiN- | |
| moon | #paɲa | |
| sand | #-shishi | |
| snake (generic) | #soN- | |
| kill, die | #wu(Ru) | |
| belly, stomach | #bulV(k) | |
| to bite | #nduma | |
| breast | #mbora | |
| buffalo | #ŋara | |
| earth, ground | #bwiro | |
| egg | #kV-guri | |
| elephant, rhino | ? | |
| to fall (as rain) | #duri | |
| fat | #mora | |
| five | #turu | |
| to know | #ɲeli | |
| navel | #kombu | |
| neck, to swallow | #moro(k) | |
| pool, water | #tabar | |
| red | #bire(n) | |
| roast, burn | #fya | |
| spread out to dry, stretch out | #tara | |
| to pour | #tV(rV) | |
| to pound | #togo | |
| to split, cut, break | #keri | Pan-African root |
| skin, hide | #kulu | Pan-African root |
| knee | #kulu | Pan-African root |
| tortoise, turtle | #kuru | Pan-African root |
| crab | #kala | Pan-African root |
Bibliography[edit]
- Blench, Roger M. 1995. Is Niger-Congo simply a branch of Nilo-Saharan? In: Proceedings of the Fifth Nilo-Saharan Linguistics Colloquium, Nice, 1992. ed. R. Nicolai and F. Rottland. 68-118. Köln: Rudiger Köppe.
- Blench, Roger. 2004a. Further evidence for Niger-Saharan and the problem of Pan-African roots. (Revised version of a paper originally presented at the 7th Nilo-Saharan Conference in Vienna, 2-6th September, 1998.)
- Blench, Roger. 2004b. Niger-Saharan: additional glosses. (Revised version of a paper originally presented at the 8th Nilo-Saharan Conference in Hamburg, 22-25th August, 2001.)
References[edit]
- ^ Blench, Roger. 2006. The Niger-Saharan Macrophylum.