The Macro-Somali or Somaloid languages, or (in the conception of Bernd Heine, who does not include Baiso) Sam languages, are a branch of the Lowland East Cushitic languages. They are spoken in Somalia, Djibouti, Somaliland, eastern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya. The most widely spoken member is Somali.Roger Blench, 2006. The Afro-Asiatic Languages: Classification and Reference List (ms)

Languages

Heine, 1978 The primary division is between Rendille versus the remaining languages, for which Heine proposes the terms "Eastern Sam" or "Dad". In this proposal, Baiso forms a Northern branch of Omo–Tana.

Somaloid Rendille Eastern Sam Boni (Aweer) Girirra Somali

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.

Macro-Somali Bayso Sam Aweer Rendille Somali Ashraaf Lower Shebelle Shingaani Benaadir Northern Abgaal Ajuraan Gaaljacal Southern Bimaal Xamari Digil Dabarre Garre Tunni Jiiddu Maay Buur Hakaba Northern Southern Midgaan? North-Central Somali Darood Lower Juba Northern Yibir?

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 Before the vowel *i (palatalization). *t t t, -d- t, -d- *c tʃ ʃ, -y- ʃ , -j- *k k k, -g- k, -g- ʃ Before the vowel *i. *ɗ ɖ ɗ, -r- ɖ 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 *h h, -ħ- h h *z j d d *ʕ ħ ʔ ʕ *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

The Eastern Sam or Dad group is characterized by the following four changes: 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: *mb, *nɗ, *ng > m, n, ŋ *ns > s *ng before *i > *ndʒ > *nʃ > ʃ

Notes

References