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.
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.
Eastern Nilotic Bari languages Teso–Lotuko–Maa: Teso–Turkana (or Ateker; incl. Karimojong) Lotuko–Maa: Lotuko languages Lango language Lopit language Lokoya language Lotuko language Dongotono language Ongamo–Maa Ongamo language Maa languages Maasai language (see also Mukogodo-Maasai) Camus language Samburu language (see also Elmolo-Samburu)
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.
+ Noun Gender Prefixes/Proclitics in Eastern Nilotic Languages Lopit Otuho Maa Ateso Turkana Bari Singular Feminine (ɪ-, na-) a-, ne- ɛn- a- a- - Masculine (lɔ-) o-, lo-, la- ɔl- e- e- - Neuter - - - i- i- - Plural Feminine (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):
Language eye ear nose tooth tongue mouth blood bone tree water to eat name Proto-Eastern Nilotic *-k₃ɔŋ- / *-k₃ɔɲ- *-ku-me / *-ku-me-t₂ik *-k₃ela- *-ŋa-dʸɛp- / *-ŋa-dʸɛp-a *-k₁ʊ-t₁ʊk- *-(a)k₃ɔtProto-Teso-Lotuko-Maasai *-k₃oyV-t₁- *-tʸaniProto-Lotuko-Maasai *-pi- *-ɲa(m)- *-k₃a-rɪn- Teso a-kɔ́ŋ-ʊ̀ á-kí-t e-kúmè e-kíàl-àì á-ŋǎjɛ̀p á-kɪ̀tʊ̀k á-àkɔ́t á-kóì-t ɛ́-kɪ́tɔ́-ɪ̀ a-ki-pí akí-ɲám-à é-kɪ́-rɔ́-rɪ̀ Turkana á-kɔŋ-ʊ á-kí-t é-kume ɛ́-kɛl-aɪ a-ŋajɛp a-kʊtuk ŋá-akɔt á-koí-t ɛ-kɪtɔ-ɛ ŋá-kɪpɪ akɪ-ɲam ɛ́-kɪ-rɔ Nyangatom -kɔɲaːn gɪ-t̪e -kume n-kɛl -ŋajɛb -kutʊːk -qɔt ŋ-qöy-ɔ ŋa-kitɔ ŋá-kɪ́-pì tɛ-nɛm -kurɔː Karimojong a-kɔŋ-u a-ki-t é-kùmé ɛ́-qɛ̀l-áe a-ŋadyɛ́p a-kit̪uk ŋa-akɔɔt á-qɔ̀ɪ́-t ɛ-kitɔ-ɪ ŋa-ki-piʔ aki-ɲam e-ke-ro Maasai ɛŋ-kɔŋ-ʊ́ ɛŋ-kɪ-ɔɔk eŋ-kumé ɔl-alá-ɪ̀ ɔl-ŋɛ́jɛ́p ɛŋ-kʊ́tʊ́k ɔ-sárɠɛ́ ol-óì-tò ɔl-caní ɛŋ-kár-ɛ́ a-ɲá ɛŋ-kárn-á Camus ŋ-kɔŋ-ʊ́ ŋ-ké-ok ŋ-kawar-íé l-alá-ɪ̀ l-ŋɛjɛp ŋ-kʊtʊ́k l-ɔɗɔ́ l-óì-tò l-caní ŋ-kár-ɛ́ a-ɲá ŋ-kárn-á Sampur ŋ-kɔŋ-ʊ́ ŋ-kɪ́-yyɔk ŋ-kwar-íé l-alá-ɪ̀ l-ŋɛ́jɛ́p ŋ-kʊtʊ́k l-ɔɗɔ́ l-óì-tò l-caní ŋ-kár-ɛ́ a-ɲá ŋ-kárn-á Ongamo na-hɔŋ-ʊ́ na-ʃɔ́ɔ ʃaɽ-íé ɔ-háa-ɪ ɔ-ŋɛ́jɛ́β-ɪ́ na-kutók na-hɔ́ɔ́t-ʊ́ o-hóí-to ɔ-ʃɛtá na-si-βí -am-/ɲ- na-hárn-á Lotuko ɔ́ɲ-ɛ̀k é-yyòk á-ttàrɪ̀ álà-ɪ̀ ɔ́ŋàjɛ̀p ɛ́-ðùk ɔ́-ɔ̀ðɔ̀ a-xó-tìò á-yyànì á-àr-è á-ŋíyó á-fùrè Oxoriok a-xɔɲ-ɛk e-yok a-xar-iɛ ɔ-xala-i u-ŋadiep a-xutuk a-xɔtɔ o-xoi-toŋ o-xyani a-xar-ɛ ɲo o-furɛ Lopit xɔɲ-ɛk hí-yók hi-mó xalá-tì ŋájɛ́p xʊ́tʊ́k xɔ́tɔ́ xoɪ́t-òì yyánì hi-ɸí-òŋ dáxá ɸúré Dongotono xɔɲ-ɛk cyɔ̂k hí-mè xalá-tɪ̀ ŋádɛ́p xʊ́tʊ́k ɔ-xɔ́t-ɔ́ xoít-ò sánì xár-ɪ́ ɔ-dɔŋɔ́ ɸúrè-ì Lokoya a-ɣɔɲ-ɛk e-xi-yôk o-xi-môŋ o-ɣalá-í ʊ-ŋájɪ́p a-kʊ́tʊ́k a-ɣɔ́tɔ́ ɔ-ɣɔ́t-ɔ̀ŋ ó-yán-dɪ́k a-ɣar-ɛ a-ɲû o-vúré Bari kɔŋ-ɛ́ súö̀-t kúmé kélê ŋɛ́dɛ́p kʊ́tʊ́k rɪ́mà kuyú-tìò kódíní pí-òŋ ɲésù karɛ́n Kakwa kɔɲ-ɛ́ súè kúmé kálá ɲɛ́dɛ́p kʊ́tʊ́ rɪ́mà kʊ́yʊ́ kodiŋí píò ɲósù karɛ́n Kuku kɔ́ŋ-ɛ́ súö̀-t kumé kölö́-ì ŋɛ́dɛ́p kʊ́tʊ́k ɓíyèt kú(y)ú-tö̀n ködin-î pí-òŋ yésù karɪ́n Ngyepu kɔŋ-ɛ́ súö̀-t kumé kölö́-ì ŋyɛ́dɛ́p kútúk rɪ́mà kuyú-tyò ködin-í pí-òŋ ɲésu karɛ́n Pöjulu kɔŋ-ɪ́n súö̀-t kumé kelê ŋyɛ́dɛ́p kutúk rɪ́mà kuí-sò ködin-í pí-òŋ ɲésù karɛ́n Nyanggwara kɔŋ-ɛ́ ʃwö́-t kumé kelé ŋɛ́dɛ́p kʊ́tʊ́k rɪ́mà kuyú-tío ködin-í pí-òŋ ɲésù karɛ́n Mondari kɔŋ-ɛ́ sʊ́-t kʊmɪ́ kɛlɛ́ ŋɛ́dɛ́p kʊ́tʊ́k rɪ́mà kú-cö̀ ködí ci-pí ɲö́sút karɛ́n
See also Languages of Tanzania Languages of South Sudan Serengeti-Dorobo language, of which at least the numeral system is Eastern or Southern Nilotic List of Proto-Eastern Nilotic reconstructions (Wiktionary)
Footnotes
Bibliography Vossen, Rainer. 1982. The Eastern Nilotes: Linguistic and Historical Reconstructions. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag. .
External links A Classified Vocabulary of the Turkana in Northwestern Kenya, by Itaru Ohta, 1989. Vowel Harmony and Cyclicity in Eastern Nilotic, Eric Bakovic The Consequences of Microvariation in Eastern Nilotic, Eric Bakovic