The Dogon languages are a small closely related language family that is spoken by the Dogon people of Mali and may belong to the proposed Niger–Congo family. There are about 600,000 speakers of its dozen languages. They are tonal languages, and most have two tones, but some, like Donno So, have three. Their basic word order is subject–object–verb.
External relationships The evidence linking Dogon to the Niger–Congo family is mainly a few numerals and some common core vocabulary. Various theories have been proposed, placing them with Gur, Mande, or as an independent branch, the last now being the preferred approach. The Dogon languages show very few remnants of the noun class system characteristic of much of Niger–Congo, leading linguists to conclude that they likely diverged from Niger–Congo very early.
Roger Blench comments,Dogon Languages Retrieved May 19, 2013
and:Roger Blench, Niger-Congo: an alternative view
The Bamana and Fula languages have exerted significant influence on Dogon, due to their close cultural and geographical ties.
Blench (2015) speculates that Bangime and Dogon languages may have a substratum from a "missing" branch of Nilo-Saharan that had split off relatively early from Proto-Nilo-Saharan, and tentatively calls that branch "Plateau".Blench, Roger. 2015. Was there a now-vanished branch of Nilo-Saharan on the Dogon Plateau? Evidence from substrate vocabulary in Bangime and Dogon. In Mother Tongue, Issue 20, 2015: In Memory of Harold Crane Fleming (1926–2015).
Internal classification The Dogon consider themselves a single ethnic group, but recognise that their languages are different. In Dogon cosmology, Dogon constitutes six of the twelve languages of the world (the others being Fulfulde, Mooré, Bambara, Bozo and Tamasheq).The last is not mentioned in Hochstetler's sources. Jamsay is thought to be the original Dogon language, but the Dogon "recognise a myriad of tiny distinctions even between parts of villages and sometimes individuals, and strive to preserve these" (Hochstetler 2004:18).
The best-studied Dogon language is the escarpment language Toro So (Tɔrɔ sɔɔ) of Sanga, due to Marcel Griaule's studies there and because Toro So was selected as one of thirteen national languages of Mali. It is mutually intelligible with other escarpment varieties. However, the plains languages—Tene Ka, Tomo Ka, and Jamsay, which are not intelligible with Toro So—have more speakers.
Bangime language ( Baŋgɛri mɛ), is considered a divergent branch of Dogon by some and a possible language isolate by others (Blench 2005b). It is now generally considered to be an isolate.
Calame-Griaule (1956) Calame-Griaule appears to have been the first to work out the various varieties of Dogon. Calame-Griaule (1956) classified the languages as follows, with accommodation given for languages which have since been discovered (new Dogon languages were reported as late as 2005), or have since been shown to be mutually intelligible (as Hochstetler confirmed for the escarpment dialects). The two standard languages are asterisked.
Plains Dogon: Jamsai,*Tɔrɔ tegu, Western Plains (dialects: Togo kã, Tengu kã, Tomo kã) Escarpment Dogon (dialects: Tɔrɔ sɔɔ,*Tommo so, Donno sɔ Kamma sɔ) West Dogon: Duleri, Mombo, Ampari–Penange; Budu North Plateau Dogon: Bondum, Dogul Yanda Nanga: Naŋa, Bankan Tey (Walo), Ben Tey Tebul
Douyon and Blench (2005) report an additional variety, which is as yet unclassified: Ana Tiŋa.
Blench noted that the plural suffix on nouns suggests that Budu is closest to Mombo, so it has been tentatively included as West Dogon above. He also notes that Walo–Kumbe is lexically similar to Naŋa; Hochstetler suspects it may be Naŋa. The similarities between these languages may be shared with Yanda. These are all extremely poorly known.
Glottolog 4.3
Glottolog 4.3Glottolog 4.3. synthesises classifications from Moran & Prokić (2013) and Hochstetler (2004). Moran & Prokić (2013) argue for a binary east-west split within Dogon, with Yanda Dom Dogon, Tebul Ure Dogon, and Najamba-Kindige as originally western Dogon languages that have become increasingly more similar to eastern Dogon languages due to intensive contact.
Dogon Western division West Dogon Ampari Dogon Bunoge Dogon Mombo Dogon Penange Dogon Tiranige Diga Dogon North Plateau Dogon Dogul Dom Dogon Yanda-Bondum-Tebul Najamba-Kindige: Bondum Dom, Kindige, Najamba Tebul Ure Dogon Yanda-Ana Ana Tinga Dogon Yanda Dom Dogon Eastern division Escarpment Dogon Donno So Dogon Tommo So Dogon Toro So Dogon: Ibi So, Ireli, Sangha So, Yorno So, Youga So Nangan Dogon Bankan Tey Dogon Ben Tey Dogon Nanga Dogon Plains Dogon Jamsay Dogon: Bama, Domno, Gono, Guru, Perge Tegu Toro Tegu Dogon Western Plains Dogon Tengou-Togo Dogon: Gimri Kan, Tengu Kan, Tenu Kan, Togo Kan, Woru Kan Tomo Kan Dogon
Comparative vocabulary Comparison of basic vocabulary words of the Dogon languages,Heath, Jeffrey; McPherson, Laura; Prokhorov, Kirill; Moran, Steven. 2015. Dogon Comparative Wordlist. Unpublished Manuscript. along with Bangime:Heath, Jeffrey. 2013. Bangime and Dogon Comparative Wordlists. m.s.
Language Location eye ear nose tooth tongue mouth blood bone tree water eat name Yorno-So gìrǐː súgùrù kín ɛ̌n nɛ́nɛ́, nɛ̀nɛ̌ː kɛ̀nɛ́, áŋá ìllîː kǐː náː dǐː káː bôy Toro Tegu Tabi jìró, gìró súgúrú cìrⁿò-ká jìrⁿó lèlá ká néŋ cìrá náː, X nà ní lí ~ lɛ́ ìsǒŋ Ben Tey Beni jìré súːrⁿù círⁿì ìrⁿú, ìrⁿí lɛ̀mdɛ̂ː mǒː, m̀bǒː gòŋgòró cìrⁿéy náː, nàː-dûm nîː ñɛ́ ìnìrⁿîː Yanda Dom Yanda gìd-íyè, gìdè sún kìnzà ìn nɛ̀mdà cɛ́nɛ́, m̀bò jènjù kìrⁿà tìmè, tìmɛ̀, nìː ínjú ʔə́ñɛ́ ~ ʔə́ñá-lì ín Jamsay Douentza jìré sûn círⁿé ìrⁿé nɛ̀nɛ́ káː nɛ̂yⁿ cìrⁿé náː níː ñɛ́ː bón Perge Tegu Pergué gìré súŋúrⁿù kírⁿé ìrⁿé lɛ̀lɛ́ káː nɛ̂m kìrⁿé náː níː ñɛ́ː sórⁿú Gourou Kiri gìré súŋùn kírⁿé ìrⁿé nɛ̀nɛ́ káː nɛ̂yⁿ kìrⁿé ̀̌ níː ñɛ́ː bón Nanga Anda gìré súŋúrⁿì kírⁿê ǹnɛ́, ìnɛ́, ìrⁿɛ́ nɛ́ndɛ̀ nɔ̌ː gòndùgó kìrⁿá déː, nàː dûː nîː kɔ́ː ǹnèrⁿî, ìnèrⁿî Bankan-Tey Walo gìré sûn círⁿè ŋìrⁿɛ́, ñìrⁿɛ́ lɛ̀mbìrɛ̂ mbǔː gòŋgòró kìrⁿěy nàː-dûm nîː ñɛ́ ŋìnnîː, ñìnnîː Najamba Kubewel-Adia gìró ~ gìré súnùː ~ súnìː kìnjâː ~ kìnjɛ̂ː ìnɔ̌ː ~ ìnɛ̌ː nɛ̌ndɔ̀ː ~ nɛ̌ndɛ̀ː ìbí-ŋgé ~ ìbí gěn-gé ~ gěn kìná-ŋgó ~ kìná nǐː ~ nìː-mbó íŋgé ~ íŋgé, ínjé ~ ínjé kwɛ́ ínèn ~ ínèn Tommo-So Tongo-Tongo gìré súgúlú kínú ìnú nííndɛ́ kɛ̀nnɛ́, áŋá ìlìyé kìyé tímɛ́ díí ńyɛ́ bóy Togo-Kan Koporo-pen gìré súgúrú kírⁿí ìrⁿí nɛ́nɛ́ káⁿ nɛ́ kìrⁿí náː díː ñíː ~ ñíː bɔ́ⁿ Mombo Songho gírè súgúlí kìjìkìjì kínjà ínnì nèːndé dónì gèːŋgé gàːwⁿěː tíníŋgɔ̀ mîː ɲɛ́ː íní Bangime ɡìré tàŋà súmbí-rì n nóɔ́ n síìⁿ nóɔ́ n ʒɛ̀rí nɔ́ɔ̀ ʒíì nnòɔ̀rɛ̀ dʷàà, dʷàɛ̀ ɥíè dì-á (màá) níì
Numerals Comparison of numerals in individual languages:
Language 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Dogulu Dom (1) tɔ̀mɔ̀ nééɡè táándù kɛ́ɛ́sɔ̀ ǹó kúlè sɔ́ɔ́wɛ̀ sèèlé tùùwɔ́ pɛ́ɛ̀l Dogul Dom Dogon (2) tomo nɛiɡe taandu kɛɛso n'nɔ kuloi sɔɔi seele tuwɔ pɛɛl Tommo So Dogon tíí (túmɔ́ as a modifier) néé tààndú nǎy ǹnɔ́ kúlóy sɔ́y ɡáɡìrà túwwɔ́ pɛ́l Donno So Dogon tí (for counting), túru lɛ̀y tàːnu này nùmoro / nnɔ kúlóy / kulei sɔ̀y ɡàɡara tùo / tuɡɔ pɛ́lu Jamsay Dogon túrú lɛ̌y / lɛ̀y tǎːn / tàːn nǎyⁿ / nàyⁿ * nǔːyⁿ / nùːyⁿ kúróy sûyⁿ ɡáːrà láːrúwà / láːrwà pɛ́rú Toro So Dogon (1) tíì (for counting), túrú lɛ́j tàánú nàjí nùmɔ́r̃ɔ́ kúlòj sɔ́j ɡáárà túwɔ́ pɛ́rú Toro So Dogon (2) tíírú (for counting), túrú léí táánú náí númɔ́rɔ́n kúlóí sɔ́í ɡáɡárá túwɔ́ pɛ́lú Toro Tegu Dogon túrú lɛ̌y tǎːlí nǎyⁿ * nǔːyⁿ kúréy sóyⁿ ɡáːrà láːrà pɛ́ró Bankan Tey Dogon tùmá jǒj tàːní nìŋŋějⁿ nùmmǔjⁿ kúròj síjⁿɔ̀jⁿ ɡáːràj tèːsúm pɛ́ːrú Ben Tey Dogon tùmɔ́: yěy tàːnú nǐːyⁿ nùmǔyⁿ kúròy súyⁿɔ̀yⁿ ɡáːrày tèːsǐm pɛ́rú Mombo Dogon yɛ̀ːtáːŋɡù / tíːtà (in counting) nɛ́ːŋɡá táːndì kɛ́ːjɔ́ núːmù kúléyⁿ sɔ́ːlì séːlè tóːwà pɛ́ːlù Najamba-Kindige kúndé nôːj tàːndîː kɛ́ːdʒɛ̀j nùmîː kúlèj swɛ̂j sáːɡìː twâj píjɛ́lì Nanga Dogon tùmâ wǒj tàːndǐː nɔ̌jⁿ nìmǐː kúrê sújɛ̂ ɡáːrɛ̀ tèːsǐː pɛ́ːrú Togo Kan Dogon (1) tí lɔ́y tàán, tàánú nǎyⁿ núnɛ́ɛ́ⁿ kúréé sɔ́ɔ̀ sìláà túwáà pɛ́rú Togo Kan Dogon (2) tí lɔ́yì tánn náɲì númɛ̀ kúlèn sɔ́ sílà túwà pɛ́lì Yanda Dom Dogon tùmá: nɔ́ː / nó táːndù cɛ́zɔ̀ nûm kúlé swɛ́ː sáːɡè twâː píyél
See also Languages of Mali Dogon word lists (Wiktionary)
Notes
References
(report with wordlist)
External links
Dogon and Bangime Linguistics Dogon linguistics website Dogon languages on Rogerblench.info (includes linguistic data and pictures) Dogon Languages and Linguistics An (sic) Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography Abbie Hantgan (2007)