Appendix:Vocabulary lists of African languages
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Below are vocabulary lists for African languages and proto-languages.
Many of the lists are glossed in French, with several also in German.
Introduction
[edit]Welcome to Wiktionary's vocabulary lists series. This series aims to have representative word lists for all language families of the world.
- Purpose: As linguistic lexicographical works, the vocabulary lists are designed with historical-comparative linguistics research goals in mind, such as classifying languages, reconstructing proto-languages, and identifying loanwords. Frequency lists and pedagogical resources are not included.
- Glosses: Each list maintains original glosses (definitions, meanings) as found in the original sources. Translated glosses are sometimes added as additional columns if the original glosses are not in English. Translations that are not in the original source are noted in the lists, and do not replace the original glosses. Unlike Swadesh lists and other standardized lexicostatistical word lists, the vocabulary lists here do not consist of lists with predetermined glosses. Instead, the vocabulary lists here can serve as "raw building blocks" for compiling Swadesh lists.
- Content: The lists are typically in the 50-1,000 item range for lexical entries. Definitions are typically concise and focus on basic vocabulary concepts such as numerals, body parts, and natural phenomena.
- Scope: Emphasis is placed on divergent language isolates, families, and branches that would likely be crucial for etymological reconstruction and classification. Proto-languages are included whenever possible. Many of these language groups are sparsely documented and/or extinct. As a result, some of these lists may actually be the only extant documentation of a language or even language group.
- Sources: The word lists are adapted from academic sources published by linguists. Thus, all lists must be properly referenced with adequate notes and metadata. Many of these sources are out of print, with highly limited distribution and accessibility.
- Digitization: As with Wikisource texts, the lists are individually and painstakingly digitized using a variety of methods, such as optical character recognition (OCR), manual typing, and document conversion.
- Encoding: Unicode.
Open-access online lexical databases that are similar in design, content, and research goals include STEDT, MKED, RefLex, Chirila, and Starling.
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[edit]Nilo-Saharan
[edit]See also: Nilo-Saharan languages
- Appendix:Nilo-Saharan word lists (ru) - Starostin (2014, 2017) [in Russian]
- Eastern Sudanic languages
- Appendix:Proto-Nilotic reconstructions - Dimmendaal (1988)
- Appendix:Proto-Eastern Nilotic reconstructions - Vossen (1982)
- Appendix:Proto-Southern Nilotic reconstructions - Rottland (1982) [in German]
- Appendix:Proto-Surmic reconstructions - Yigezu (2001)
- Appendix:Northern Eastern Sudanic reconstructions - Rilly (2010) [in French]
- Appendix:Proto-Nubian reconstructions - Rilly (2010) [in French]
- Appendix:Nara word list - Rilly (2005)
- Appendix:Proto-Daju reconstructions - Thelwall (1981)
- Appendix:Proto-Eastern Jebel reconstructions - Bender (1998)
- Appendix:Temein word lists - Blench (2006)
- Appendix:Proto-Nilotic reconstructions - Dimmendaal (1988)
- Appendix:Central Sudanic word lists - Bokula & Irumu (1994) [in French]
- Appendix:Proto-Central Sudanic reconstructions - Bender (1992)
- Appendix:Proto-Sara-Bongo-Bagirmi reconstructions - Boyeldieu, et al. (2006) [in French and English]
- Appendix:Sinyar word list - Boyeldieu (2013)
- Appendix:Birri word list - Santandrea (1966)
- Appendix:Proto-Mangbetu reconstructions - Demolin (1992) [in French]
- Appendix:Proto-Kuliak reconstructions - Heine (1976)
- Appendix:Ik word list - Schrock (2008)
- Appendix:Kadu word lists - Schadeberg (1994); Stevenson & Blench (n.d.)
- Appendix:Berta word lists - Neudorf (2016); Bremer (2016)
- Appendix:Kunama word list - Bender (2001)
- Appendix:Proto-Koman reconstructions - Bender (1983); Otero (2019)
- Appendix:Gule word lists - Seligmann (1912); Evans-Pritchard (1932)
- Appendix:Gumuz word lists - Ahland & Kelly (2014)
- Appendix:Amdang word list - Wolf (2010) [in French]
- Appendix:Mimi of Decorse word list - Gaudefroy-Demombynes (1907) [in French]
- Appendix:Maban word lists - Edgar (1991); Blench (2021); Nougayrol (1986) [in French]
- Appendix:Mimi of Nachtigal word list - Lukas & Völckers (1938) [in German]
- Appendix:Kanuri word list - Löhr & Wolff (2009)
- Appendix:Proto-Songhay reconstructions - Blench (n.d.)
- Appendix:Tadaksahak word list - Christiansen-Bolli (2010)
Niger-Congo
[edit]See also: Niger-Congo languages
- Appendix:Proto-Niger-Congo numerals - Güldemann (2018); Pozdniakov (2018)
- Appendix:Proto-Atlantic-Congo reconstructions - Mukarovsky (1976)
- Appendix:Proto-Benue-Congo reconstructions - Blench (2004); de Wolf (1971)
- Appendix:Proto-Grassfields reconstructions - Hyman (1979)
- Appendix:Proto-Ring reconstructions - Paulin (1995)
- Appendix:Momo word lists - Blench (2010)
- Appendix:Tivoid word lists - Blench (2016) [in French and English]
- Appendix:Ekoid word lists - Blench (2014)
- Appendix:Beboid word lists - Blench (n.d.)
- Appendix:Bendi word lists - Blench (2001)
- Appendix:Proto-Bantu reconstructions - BLR3 (2002) [in French and English]
- Appendix:Proto-Bantu Swadesh list - BLR2 (1999)
- Appendix:Proto-Kongo reconstructions - Goes (2016)
- Appendix:Proto-Jukunoid reconstructions - Shimizu (1980)
- Appendix:Proto-Plateau reconstructions - Gerhardt (1983)
- Appendix:Proto-Tarokoid reconstructions - Longtau (2004)
- Appendix:Proto-Northern Jos reconstructions - Shimizu (1982)
- Appendix:Proto-Grassfields reconstructions - Hyman (1979)
- Appendix:Proto-Fali reconstructions - Sweetman (1981)
- YEAI languages
- Appendix:Proto-Yoruboid reconstructions - Akinkugbe (1978); Aubry, Friedman & Pozdniakov (2004) [in French and English]; Pozdniakov (2018)
- Appendix:Ulukwumi word list - Oluwadoro & Abiola (2016)
- Appendix:Proto-Edoid reconstructions - Elugbe (1989)
- Appendix:Proto-Akokoid reconstructions - Blench (n.d.); Fadoro (2010)
- Appendix:Proto-Igboid reconstructions - Blench & Williamson (2016)
- Appendix:Akpes word lists - Ibrahim (1989); Blench (2011)
- Appendix:Ayere-Ahan word lists - Blench (2007)
- Appendix:Proto-Gbe reconstructions - Capo (1991)
- Appendix:Fongbe Swadesh list - Lefebvre & Brousseau (2002)
- Appendix:Proto-Potou-Akanic reconstructions - Stewart (2004)
- NOI languages
- Appendix:Proto-Nupoid reconstructions - Bankale (2006); Blench (2013)
- Appendix:Oko word list - Jungraithmayr (1973)
- Appendix:Proto-Idomoid reconstructions - Armstrong (1983)
- Appendix:Proto-Ukaan reconstructions - Abiodun (1999)
- Cross River languages
- Appendix:Proto-Upper Cross River reconstructions - Dimmendaal (1978)
- Appendix:Proto-Lower Cross River reconstructions - Connell (n.d.)
- Appendix:Anaang word list - Michael (2009)
- Appendix:Proto-Ogoni reconstructions - Blench & Williamson (2008)
- Appendix:Proto-Ijaw reconstructions - Blench & Williamson (2007)
- Appendix:Defaka word list - Jenewari (1983)
- Kwa languages
- Appendix:Proto-Central Togo reconstructions - Heine (1968) [in German]
- Appendix:Proto-Guang reconstructions - Snider (1990)
- Adamawa languages
- Appendix:Proto-Mumuye reconstructions - Shimizu (1979) [in Hausa and English]
- Appendix:Proto-Jen reconstructions - Norton & Othaniel (2020)
- Appendix:Yendang word lists - Blench, et al. (2009)
- Appendix:Tula-Waja word lists - Kleinewillinghöfer (2014)
- Appendix:Proto-Lakka reconstructions - Boyd (1974) [in French]
- Appendix:Proto-Bua reconstructions - Boyeldieu (n.d.) [in French and English]
- Appendix:Kim word lists - Roberts (1999) [in French]
- Ubangian languages
- Appendix:Proto-Gbaya reconstructions - Moñino (1995) [in French]
- Gur languages
- Appendix:Proto-Gurunsi reconstructions - Manessy (1969) [in French]
- Appendix:Proto-Oti-Volta reconstructions - Manessy (1975) [in French]
- Appendix:Proto-Eastern Oti-Volta reconstructions - Sambiéni (2005) [in French]
- Appendix:Proto-Central Oti-Volta reconstructions - Manessy (1979) [in French]
- Appendix:Tiefo word list - Berthelette & Berthelette (2002) [in French]
- Appendix:Natioro word lists - Sawadogo (2002) [in French]
- Appendix:Bariba word list - Welmers (1952)
- Appendix:Dogon word lists - Heath et al. (2015) [in French and English]
- Appendix:Proto-Mande reconstructions - Vydrin (2016)
- Appendix:Proto-West Mande reconstructions - Kastenholz (1996) [in German]
- Appendix:Proto-Mandekan reconstructions - Bimson (1976)
- Appendix:Proto-Niger-Volta reconstructions - Schreiber (2008) [in German]
- Appendix:Proto-South Mande reconstructions - Vydrin (2005, 2007)
- Atlantic languages
- Appendix:Proto-Fula-Sereer reconstructions - Pozdniakov (2022)
- Appendix:Proto-Cangin reconstructions - Merrill (2018)
- Appendix:Bijogo word list - Segerer (2002) [in French]
- Appendix:Proto-Manjaku reconstructions - Doneux (1975) [in French]
- Appendix:Word lists of Atlantic languages of Guinea - Fields (2001)
- Kordofanian languages
- Appendix:Proto-Talodi reconstructions - Norton & Alaki (2015)
- Appendix:Proto-Heiban reconstructions - Schadeberg (1981)
- Appendix:Proto-Katloid reconstructions - Dimmendaal (2019)
- Appendix:Rashad word lists - Schadeberg (2013)
- Appendix:Lafofa word lists - Blench (2016)
Afroasiatic
[edit]See also: Afroasiatic languages
- Appendix:Proto-Afroasiatic reconstructions - Ehret (1995)
- Appendix:Proto-Chadic reconstructions - Jungraithmayr & Ibriszimow (1994)
- Appendix:Proto-Ron reconstructions - Blench (n.d.)
- Appendix:Proto-North Bauchi reconstructions - Takács (2004)
- Appendix:Proto-South Bauchi reconstructions - Shimizu (1978)
- Appendix:South Bauchi word lists - Shimizu (1978)
- Appendix:Proto-Central Chadic reconstructions - Gravina (2014)
- Appendix:Proto-Masa reconstructions - Shryock (1997)
- Appendix:Kujarge word list - Doornbos (1981)
- Appendix:Proto-Cushitic reconstructions - Ehret (1987); Bender (2020)
- Appendix:Proto-Agaw reconstructions - Appleyard (2006)
- Appendix:Proto-Omotic reconstructions - Bender (1987)
- Appendix:Proto-Aroid reconstructions - Yigezu (2013)
- Appendix:Proto-Maji reconstructions - Aklilu (2003)
- Appendix:Mao word lists - Küspert (2015) [in Amharic, Oromo, and English]
- Appendix:Proto-Semitic stems - Kogan (2012)
Khoisan
[edit]See also: Khoisan languages
- Appendix:Khoisan word lists (ru) - Starostin (2013) [in Russian]
- Appendix:Proto-Khoe reconstructions - Vossen (1997) [in German]
- Appendix:Proto-Central Khoisan reconstructions - Baucom (1974)
- Appendix:Proto-Tuu reconstructions - Güldemann (2005); Starostin (2021)
- Appendix:!Kung word lists - Snyman (1997)
Language isolates
[edit]See also: Language isolate
- Appendix:Bangime word list - Heath (2013)
- Appendix:Jalaa word list - Kleinewillinghöfer (2001)
- Appendix:Laal Swadesh list - Lionnet (n.d.) [in French and English]
- Appendix:Ongota word list - Wedekind (2001)
- Appendix:Shabo word list - Jordan, et al. (2015)
- Appendix:Sandawe word list - Eaton, et al. (2007)
- Appendix:Hadza word list - Miller (2019)
Others
[edit]- Appendix:Proto-Niger-Saharan reconstructions - Blench (2006)
See also
[edit]- Appendix:Vocabulary lists
- Appendix:Swadesh lists
- Appendix:Afroasiatic Swadesh lists
- Khoisan languages
- Appendix:Niger-Congo Swadesh lists — Yoruba, Igbo, Mandinka, Wolof
- Appendix:Bantu Swadesh lists — 36 Bantu languages
External links
[edit]- RefLex (Reference Lexicon of the languages of Africa)