| Macro-Somali | |
|---|---|
| Somaloid | |
| Geographic distribution | Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya |
| Linguistic classification | Afro-Asiatic
|
| Subdivisions | |
| Glottolog | east2653 |
The Macro-Somali or Somaloid languages, or (in the conception of Bernd Heine, who does not include Baiso[1]), Sam languages, are a branch of the Lowland East Cushitic languages. They are spoken in Somalia, Djibouti, eastern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya. The most widely-spoken member is Somali.[2]
Languages
The primary division is between Baiso and Rendille versus the remaining languages, for which Heine proposes the terms "Eastern Sam" or "Dad".[3]
Sound correspondences
The following sound correspondences hold between Rendille, Aweer and Somali:
| Proto-Sam | Rendille | Aweer | Somali | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| *b | b | b | b | |
| *d | d | d | d | |
| *g | g | k, -g- | g | |
| dʒ | ʃ | dʒ ⟨j⟩ | Before the vowel *i (palatalization). | |
| *t | t | t, -d- | t, -d- | |
| *c | tʃ | ʃ, -y- | ʃ ⟨sh⟩, -j- ⟨y⟩ | |
| *k | k | k, -g- | k, -g- | |
| ʃ | Before the vowel *i. | |||
| *ɗ | ɖ | ɗ, -r- | ɖ ⟨dh⟩ | Continues Proto-East Cushitic implosive *ɗ. |
| *q | x | ʔ | q | Continues Proto-East Cushitic ejective *kʼ. |
| *f | f | f | f | |
| *s | s | s | s | |
| *ħ | ħ | ħ, -h- | ħ ⟨x⟩ | |
| *h | h, -ħ- | h | h | |
| *z | j | d | d | |
| *ʕ | ħ | ʔ | ʕ ⟨c⟩ | |
| *ʔ | ħ | ʔ | lost | |
| *m | m | m, -n | m, -n | |
| *n | n | n | n | |
| *l | l | l | l | |
| *r | r | r | r | |
| *w | w | w | w, -b- | |
| *j | j | j | j ⟨y⟩ |
The Eastern Sam or Dad group is characterized by the following four changes:[4]
- The voiceless stops *t, *c, *k became voiced *d, *j, *g when following a vowel.
- Elsewhere, *c becomes a fricative *ʃ.
- *z > *d.
- *m > *n at the end of a word.
In Boni, several consonant clusters simplify:[5]
- *mb, *nɗ, *ng > m, n, ŋ
- *ns > s
- *ng before *i > *ndʒ > *nʃ > ʃ
Notes
- ↑ Heine 1978, p. 8.
- ↑ Roger Blench, 2006. The Afro-Asiatic Languages: Classification and Reference List (ms)
- ↑ Heine 1978, p. 39.
- ↑ Heine 1978, p. 40.
- ↑ Heine 1978, pp. 18–19.
References
- Heine, Berndt (1978). "The Sam Languages. A History of Rendille, Boni and Somali". Afro-Asiatic Linguistics. 6 (2).
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