Katla (also Kaalak or Kwaalak) is a Katla language, closely related to a neighbouring language called Tima. Katla is generally classified as Kordofanian, which is not a uniform branch, and is native to the Nuba Mountains. While Jalad is seen a dialect there is a clear distinction between the two groups. Similarly one can distinguish Katla into east and west Katla dialects, it is believed to be spoken in 11 villages around Jebel Katla and their ethnicity is kàlàk.
The variety Julud is mutually intelligible with Katla-Kulharong but not with Katla-Cakom.
Phonology Consonants LabialDentalAlveolarPost-alveolarVelarLabial-velarGlottalPlosivevoiceless()()voicedprenasalFricative()NasalRhoticApproximant Sounds [c] and [ʃ] occur as realizations of /s/. +Consonants in the Julut dialectLabialDental/ AlveolarRetroflexPalatalVelarLabial-velarPlosivevoicelessvoicedprenasalFricativeNasalRhoticApproximant
Vowels FrontCentralBackCloseMidOpen /i, u/ can also be realized as [ɪ, ʊ]. +Vowels in the Julut dialectFrontCentralBackCloseMidOpen
Nouns
Plural Most of the time nouns in Katla do not have a plural, either numbers are put in front of the word or a quantifier is used. Often loanwords do not follow this rule and therefore change in their plural form.
Genitive case In some cases Katla places the genitive after the subject, as in other Sudanese languages: ‚u gbalana‘ " the dog’s owner ". Usually this is avoided and put in between both nouns: ‚gas i gu‘ „the dog’s head“.
Subjective case The subjective case is put infringement of the verb. In the case of multiple objects each one gets a case:
‘gu šekemole retet’ “The dog bit the gazelle”
Pronouns singular plural 1st person Ṇ- Ni-, N-, Ń- 2nd person Dj- Dj- 3rd person Y- Y-
Numbers Source: tẹták sẹk hātẹd agálam jẹgwūlẹn djọltẹn djolēk taṅgẹl djalbatẹn rākwẹs
Dialects and locations Dialects and village locations: Julud dialect: Kabog, Kabog North, Kabosh, Kambai, Karkando, Karkarya, Kary, Kimndang, Kitanngo, Kolbi, Koto Kork, Octiang, Rumber, Sabba, and Tolot Katla dialect: Bombori, Karoka, Kateik, Kiddu, Kirkpong, and Koldrong
References
Bibliography