Macro-Somali languages

Macro-Somali
Somaloid, Eastern Omo–Tana, Sam
Geographic
distribution		Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya
Linguistic classificationAfro-Asiatic
Subdivisions
Language codes
Glottologeast2653

The Macro-Somali or Somaloid languages, or (in the conception of Bernd Heine, who does not include Baiso[2]) 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.[3]

Languages

Heine, 1978

The primary division is between Rendille versus the remaining languages, for which Heine proposes the terms "Eastern Sam" or "Dad".[4] In this proposal, Baiso forms a Northern branch of Omo–Tana.

Blench, 2006

Within Blench's proposal, the primary division of Macro-Somali is first between Baiso, Sam, and Somali. Then within Sam, the primary split is between Rendille and Aweer. Girirra is left unclassified within Lowland East Cushitic.[5]

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:[6]

  • 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:[7]

  • *mb, *nɗ, *ng > m, n, ŋ
  • *ns > s
  • *ng before *i > *ndʒ > *nʃ > ʃ

Notes

  1. ^ "Somali languages". Ethnologue. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  2. ^ Heine 1978, p. 8.
  3. ^ Roger Blench, 2006. The Afro-Asiatic Languages: Classification and Reference List (ms)
  4. ^ Heine 1978, p. 39.
  5. ^ Blench, Roger (2006). "The Afro-Asiatic Languages: Classification and Reference List" (PDF). p. 3.
  6. ^ Heine 1978, p. 40.
  7. ^ Heine 1978, pp. 18–19.

References

  • Heine, Berndt (December 1978). Hetzron, Robert; Schuh, Russell G. (eds.). "The Sam Languages. A History of Rendille, Boni and Somali". Afro-Asiatic Linguistics. Monographic Journals of the Near East. 6 (2). Malibu: Undena Publications. hdl:2307/858.
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