Eastern Nilotic languages

Last updated
Eastern Nilotic
Geographic
distribution
southwestern Ethiopia, eastern South Sudan, northeastern Uganda, western Kenya, northern Tanzania
Linguistic classification Nilo-Saharan?
Subdivisions
Glottolog east2418

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.

Contents

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.

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
LopitOtuhoMaaAtesoTurkanaBari
SingularFeminine(ɪ-, na-)a-, ne-ɛn-a-a--
Masculine(lɔ-)o-, lo-, la-ɔl-e-e--
Neuter---i-i--
PluralFeminine(ɪ-, na-)a-, ne-ɪn-ŋa-ŋa--
Masculine(lɔ-)o-, lo-, la-ɪl-ŋi-ŋi--
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-
Teso a-kɔ́ŋ-ʊ̀á-kí-te-kúmèe-kíàl-àìá-ŋǎjɛ̀pá-kɪ̀tʊ̀ká-àkɔ́tá-kóì-tɛ́-kɪ́tɔ́-ɪ̀a-ki-píakí-ɲám-àé-kɪ́-rɔ́-rɪ̀
Turkana á-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
Karimojong a-kɔŋ-ua-ki-té-kùméɛ́-qɛ̀l-áea-ŋadyɛ́pa-kit̪ukŋa-akɔɔtá-qɔ̀ɪ́-tɛ-kitɔ-ɪŋa-ki-piʔaki-ɲame-ke-ro
Maasai ɛŋ-kɔŋ-ʊ́ɛŋ-kɪ-ɔɔkeŋ-kuméɔl-alá-ɪ̀ɔl-ŋɛ́jɛ́pɛŋ-kʊ́tʊ́kɔ-sárɠɛ́ol-óì-tòɔl-caníɛŋ-kár-ɛ́a-ɲáɛŋ-kárn-á
Camus ŋ-kɔŋ-ʊ́ŋ-ké-okŋ-kawar-íél-alá-ɪ̀l-ŋɛjɛpŋ-kʊtʊ́kl-ɔɗɔ́l-óì-tòl-caníŋ-kár-ɛ́a-ɲáŋ-kárn-á
Sampur ŋ-kɔŋ-ʊ́ŋ-kɪ́-yyɔkŋ-kwar-íél-alá-ɪ̀l-ŋɛ́jɛ́pŋ-kʊtʊ́kl-ɔɗɔ́l-óì-tòl-caníŋ-kár-ɛ́a-ɲáŋ-kárn-á
Ongamo na-hɔŋ-ʊ́na-ʃɔ́ɔʃaɽ-íéɔ-háa-ɪɔ-ŋɛ́jɛ́β-ɪ́na-kutókna-hɔ́ɔ́t-ʊ́o-hóí-toɔ-ʃɛtána-si-βí-am-/ɲ-na-hárn-á
Lotuko ɔ́ɲ-ɛ̀ké-yyòká-ttàrɪ̀álà-ɪ̀ɔ́ŋàjɛ̀pɛ́-ðùkɔ́-ɔ̀ðɔ̀a-xó-tìòá-yyànìá-àr-èá-ŋíyóá-fùrè
Oxoriok a-xɔɲ-ɛke-yoka-xar-iɛɔ-xala-iu-ŋadiepa-xutuka-xɔtɔo-xoi-toŋo-xyania-xar-ɛɲoo-furɛ
Lopit xɔɲ-ɛkhí-yókhi-móxalá-tìŋájɛ́pxʊ́tʊ́kxɔ́tɔ́xoɪ́t-òìyyánìhi-ɸí-òŋdáxáɸúré
Dongotono xɔɲ-ɛkcyɔ̂khí-mèxalá-tɪ̀ŋádɛ́pxʊ́tʊ́kɔ-xɔ́t-ɔ́xoít-òsánìxár-ɪ́ɔ-dɔŋɔ́ɸúrè-ì
Lokoya a-ɣɔɲ-ɛke-xi-yôko-xi-môŋo-ɣalá-íʊ-ŋájɪ́pa-kʊ́tʊ́ka-ɣɔ́tɔ́ɔ-ɣɔ́t-ɔ̀ŋó-yán-dɪ́ka-ɣar-ɛa-ɲûo-vúré
Bari kɔŋ-ɛ́súö̀-tkúmékélêŋɛ́dɛ́pkʊ́tʊ́krɪ́màkuyú-tìòkódínípí-òŋɲésùkarɛ́n
Kakwa kɔɲ-ɛ́súèkúmékáláɲɛ́dɛ́pkʊ́tʊ́rɪ́màkʊ́yʊ́kodiŋípíòɲósùkarɛ́n
Kuku kɔ́ŋ-ɛ́súö̀-tkumékölö́-ìŋɛ́dɛ́pkʊ́tʊ́kɓíyètkú(y)ú-tö̀nködin-îpí-òŋyésùkarɪ́n
Ngyepu kɔŋ-ɛ́súö̀-tkumékölö́-ìŋyɛ́dɛ́pkútúkrɪ́màkuyú-tyòködin-ípí-òŋɲésukarɛ́n
Pöjulu kɔŋ-ɪ́nsúö̀-tkumékelêŋyɛ́dɛ́pkutúkrɪ́màkuí-sòködin-ípí-òŋɲésùkarɛ́n
Nyanggwara kɔŋ-ɛ́ʃwö́-tkumékeléŋɛ́dɛ́pkʊ́tʊ́krɪ́màkuyú-tíoködin-ípí-òŋɲésùkarɛ́n
Mondari kɔŋ-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

Related Research Articles

The Nilotic peoples are people indigenous to the Nile Valley who speak Nilotic languages. They inhabit South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, the eastern border area of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. Among these are the Burun-speaking peoples, Teso people also known as Iteso or people of Teso, Karo peoples, Luo peoples, Ateker peoples, Kalenjin peoples, Karamojong people also known as the Karamojong or Karimojong, Datooga, Dinka, Nuer, Atwot, Lotuko, and the Maa-speaking peoples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kakwa people</span> Ethnic group native to Africa

The Kakwa people are a Nilotic ethnic group and part of the Karo people found in north-western Uganda, south-western South Sudan, and north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly to the west of the White Nile river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equatoria</span> Region in South Sudan

Equatoria is the southernmost region of South Sudan, along the upper reaches of the White Nile and the border between South Sudan and Uganda. Juba, the national capital and the largest city in South Sudan, is located in Equatoria. Originally a province of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, it also contained most of northern parts of present-day Uganda, including Lake Albert and West Nile. It was an idealistic effort to create a model state in the interior of Africa that never consisted of more than a handful of adventurers and soldiers in isolated outposts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Equatoria</span> State of South Sudan

Central Equatoria is a state in South Sudan. With an area of 43,033 square kilometres (16,615 sq mi), it is the smallest of the original South Sudanese states. Its previous name was Bahr al-Jabal, named after a tributary of the White Nile that flows through the state. It was renamed Central Equatoria in the first Interim Legislative Assembly on 1 April 2005 under the government of Southern Sudan. Central Equatoria seceded from Sudan as part of the Republic of South Sudan on 9 July 2011. The state's capital, Juba, is also the national capital of South Sudan. On October 2, 2015, the state was split into three states: Jubek, Terekeka, and Yei River. The state of Central Equatoria was re-established by a peace agreement signed on 22 February 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mundari people</span> Ethnic group of South Sudan

The Mundari are a small ethnic group of South Sudan. They are a part of the Karo people, one of the Karo ethnic Group

Pökoot is a language spoken in western Kenya and eastern Uganda by the Pokot people. Pökoot is classified to the northern branch of the Kalenjin languages found in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The Pökoot are usually called "Kimukon" by the other Kalenjin peoples. A 1994 figure of SIL puts the total number of speakers at 264,000, while the only slightly more recent Schladt (1997:40) gives the more conservative estimate of 150,000 people, presumably based on the figures found in Rottland (1982:26) who puts the number at slightly more than 115,000.

The Maa languages are a group of closely related Eastern Nilotic languages spoken in parts of Kenya and Tanzania by more than a million speakers. They are subdivided into North and South Maa. The Maa languages are related to the Lotuko languages spoken in South Sudan.

Samburu is a Maa language dialect spoken by Samburu pastoralists in northern Kenya. The Samburu number about 128,000. The Samburu dialect is closely related to the Camus dialect and to the South Maasai dialects. The word "Samburu" itself may derive from the Maa word saamburr for a leather bag the Samburu use.

Ongamo, or Ngas, is an extinct Eastern Nilotic language of Tanzania. It is closely related to the Maa languages, but more distantly than they are to each other. Ongamo has 60% of lexical similarity with Maasai, Samburu, and Camus. Speakers have shifted to Chagga, a dominant regional Bantu language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilchamus people</span> Ethnic group in Kenya

The Ilchamus, are a Maa-speaking people living south and southeast of Lake Baringo, Kenya. They numbered approximately 32,949 people in 2019 and are closely related to the Samburu living more to the north-east in the Rift Valley Province. They are one of the smallest ethnic groups in Kenya.

The Otuho people, also known as the Lotuko, are a Nilotic ethnic group whose traditional home is the Eastern Equatoria state of South Sudan. They speak the Otuho language.

Bari is the Nilotic language of the Karo people, spoken over large areas of Central Equatoria state in South Sudan, across the northwest corner of Uganda, and into the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Teso–Turkana languages are a group of closely related Eastern Nilotic languages spoken in southeastern South Sudan, northeastern Uganda, northwestern Kenya, and southwestern Ethiopia. In effect they form a dialect cluster consisting of c.2 million people. According to Gerrit Dimmendaal, most of these languages – Karimojong, Jie, Toposa, Turkana, and Nyangatom – are mutually intelligible, and for the most part differ only in regard to tone. Teso belongs to the same broad group but is not described as being as closely related to Turkana as the others.

The Kuku language, also called Kutuk na Kuku belongs to the Karo language group, of the Southeastern Nilotic branch of the Nilotic language family of Southern Sudan and Northern Uganda. There is no standardized writing system for Kuku; it is sometimes written using the alphabet of a related language such as Bari or Kakwa, with the addition of characters to represent sounds that are not present in the other language. For example, the Bari alphabet can be adjusted for use in Kuku by adding the digraphs gb and kp to represent the voiced and voiceless labiovelar stops, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pojulu people</span> Tribe of the White Nile Valley

The Pojulu is a tribe of the savanna lands in the White Nile Valley, in the Equatoria region of South Sudan. They are Nilotic people and part of the Karo people — which also includes Bari, Mundari, Kakwa, Kuku, Nyangwara, and the Karo Tribes Of Omo Valley in Ethiopia such as the Banna, Hamer, Mursi, Kara, Dassanech, Arbore, Nyangatom known as the Omo Karo peoples.

The Nyangwara or Yangwara are an ethnic group numbering between 25,000 and 30,000 people living in the South Sudan in the state of Central Equatoria. The word Yangwara means Horns. They live divided between Terekeka and Juba Districts. Their main town is Rokon, which lies about 53 miles west of Juba. Environment, Economy and Natural Resources Yangwara land enjoys tropical to rich savannah type of climate. It is endowed with deep fertile soil and is dissected by a number of perennial streams that drain into the river Nile. It receives rains between March and November enough to sustain extensive agricultural activities in the area.

The Lopit language is an Eastern Nilotic language spoken by around 117,000 people in Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan. Lopit is part of the Lotuko-Teso subfamily and is related to Lotuko, Turkana and Maasai. Lopit is a VSO language and has a complex tonal system.

Toposa is a Nilo-Saharan language spoken in South Sudan by the Toposa people. Mutually intelligible language varieties include Jiye of South Sudan, Nyangatom of Ethiopia, Karimojong, Jie and Dodos of Uganda and Turkana of Kenya. Teso is lexically more distant.

Lokoya is an Eastern Nilotic language spoken by an estimated 85,000 people in South Sudan. It is also referred to by various other names, including Ellyria, Koyo, Loirya, Ohoromok, Lokoiya, Lokoja, Loquia, Lowoi, Oirya, Owoi, and Oxoriok.

Dongotono is an Eastern Nilotic language spoken by an estimated 5,000 people in South Sudan.