Evaluating the genetic unity of Central Sudanic lexical

Evaluating the genetic unity of Central Sudanic: lexical and morphological evidence Pascal Boyeldieu (CNRS, Llacan-UMR 8135)

Summary 1. Central Sudanic: history and overview 2. Sara-Bongo-Bagirmi (SBB) 3. Central Sudanic (CSD)

Tucker & Bryan (1956) Greenberg (1963) Greenberg (1971) 2. Bongo-Bagirmi Bongo (LG) Kresh (LG) Sinyar (SU) Kara (SU) Sara (LG) Bagirmi (LG) 1. Bongo, Baka, Morokodo, Beli, [. . . ], Sara dialects [. . . ], Bagirmi, Kuka, Kenga, [. . . ] 2. Kreish 3. Binga, Yulu, Kara 1. Bongo-Bagirmi A. Bongo B. Sara, Kara, Bagirmi C. Yulu 2. Kreish 1. Moru-Mangbetu Moru-Ma’di (LG) Mangbutu-Efe (LG) Mangbetu (LG) Lendu (SU) 4. Moru, Avukaya, Logo, Keliko, Lugbara, Madi 5. Mangbetu, Lombi, Popoi, Makere, Meje, Asua 6. Mangbutu, Mamvu, Lese, Mvuba, Efe 7. Lendu 3. Moru-Madi 4. Mangbetu 5. Mangbutu-Efe 6. Lendu (LG = Language group ; SU = Single unit)

[CSD] = 5 (6? ) groups [SBB] Sara-Bongo-Bagirmi: Modo, Baka, Bongo, Yulu, Gula dialects, Ndoka, Bagiro, Na, Kenga, Bagirmi, Sara languages – Sinyar? [MMD] Moru-Madi: Moru, Avokaya, Logo, Lugbara, Ma’di [LND] Lendu: Ngiti, Lendu [MAS] Mangbetu-Asua: Asua, Mangbetu, Meje, Lombi [MEF] Mangbutu-Efe: Mangbutu, Ndo, Mamvu, Lese, Efe ? [KRS] Kresh (& al. ): Kresh, Dongo – Aja? – Birri?

SBB KRS SVO head – modifier prepositions MMD LND MAS MEF SVO / S(Aux)OV modifier – head postpositions Syntaxic typology

2. SBB Segmental and tonal correspondences Lexicon Morphology (verb tonal classes, verbal derivation, personal pronouns)

Linguistic position of Sinyar? SBB-like: – part of the lexicon (including ‘basic’ vocabulary) – part of the personal pronouns – personal indices 2 & 3 distinguished for number by verbal plural suffixes – deverbative processes (vowel-initial verbs: adjectives prefixed in k-, infinitive prefixed in t-) not SBB-like: – part of the lexicon (including ‘basic’ vocabulary) – but of which origin? – no tonal alternation on verbs – marked-nominative language (see König 2008: Nilotic and Surmic feature)

3. CSD Consonant correspondences: - Labial-velars: *kp, *gb, *ngb, *Ñm - Glottalized: *¹, *ß, *Ê , * • , *C, *‰ Lexicon Morphological features (see Tucker & Bryan 1956, 1966): - Similarities of S 1 -S 2 independant pronouns - Verbal intensive t- - Deverbative K - O-/E- or A-/E- Itive/Ventive and Neuter/Causative

CSD *VCV *kp *gb *ngb *Ñm SBB *(C)VCV *kp *gb / *g-u ? (*ngb ? ) *Ñm MMD *(V)CV *kw-a/E/i *gw-Æ/i, (*g-u ? ) *ngw *Ñw-a/u LND *VCV *kp / *ts *gb / *dz *ngb / *ndz *m ? MAS *VCV *kw-a/Æ *g ? *ngw-a/Æ *Ñw-a/Æ ? MEF *(C)VCV *kp *? / *g-u ? *ngb ? KRS CSD labial-velar formulas

*¹ *Ê *ß * • *C *‰ CSD *VCV SBB *(C)VCV *ß * • *‰ MMD *VCV *ß * • *‰ LND *VCV MAS *VCV MEF *(C)VCV KRS *¹ *Ê *ß * • *C *‰ *ß / *b * • *‰ ? *ß *l *j CSD glottalized formulas

Similarities in the S 1 -S 2 forms of the independant pronouns *SBB S 1 S 2 *má *(? )í MMD (Moru-Miza, Lugbara) ma mi LND (Ngiti, lendu) ma ñi/ne MAS (Mangbetu, Asua) ima imi MEF (Mamvu, Lese) umu ini KRS (Kresh, Aja) (a)ma (u)mu

Verbal intensive t [SBB] Gula (Nougayrol 1999: 116 -117) àvà sauter távå (GS) sautiller ÀtÀ couper tÁtÄ (GM/GS/GZ) débiter, hacher „gå semer par poquets túgå (GS) retourner la terre ùndà battre túndå (GM/GS) rouer de coups [MMD] Logo (Vallaeys 1986: 284) t. V ‘préfixe au verbe monosyllabique, marquant la répétition ou l’intensité de l’action exprimée par le verbe’ tagò – gò plier terè – rè tordre todzá – dza tourner tufú – fu tuer [LND] ? ? ? [MAS] ? ? ? [MEF] Mamvu (Vorbichler 1971) (™- or ™i-? ) ÒdÄ ergreifen ™ÖdÁ ergreifen (vielfach) Öjà verjagen ™ìjå verjagen (viele, Pl. ) ºjù alt werden ™íj„ alt werden (viele, Pl. ) åmvù tränken, trinken ™ìmv„ tränken, trinken (viele, Pl. ) [KRS] ? ? ?

Deverbative K- [SBB] Bagiro k-`/kì- > infinitives, and nouns/adjectives (Boyeldieu 2000: 126 -129) ìsÖ il tombe k-ìsÖ tomber àkÀ il est rouge k-àkÀ être rouge kàkÀ rougeur, rouge [MMD] Moru k-: formative of some adjectives (Tucker 1940: 286) (avukaya) ønzí (moru) kÒzi bad dÓ kadu good [LND] ? ? ? [MEF] Mamvu q-: deverbative function (Vorbichler, 1971: 194) å™ò lehren qà™ò Erzählung ÒlÖ süß sein qÖlÒ süß [MAS] Mangbetu k-/ku- > verbal nouns (Larochette 1958: 30 -31) -àdjí épouser nÁkàdjì mariage -àpáká se réserver nékùpàkà interdiction [KRS] Kresh g- > infinitives and adjectives (Santandrea 1976: 155, 189; Boyd, unpubl. ) g-øƒo to eat g-ulu to run (Santandrea) g-ìÑgì rouge g-èsè petit (Boyd)

O-/E- or A-/E-: a. Itive/Ventive and b. Neuter/Causative [SBB] ? ? ? [MMD]: Moru (Tucker, 1940: 205 -211, 360 -369) a. ø-sá arrive (there) Æsá arrive (here) Ö-'dÄ fall (away) Ä'dÄ fall (towards) b. o-mba grow up emba bring up o-ca be tall eca nourish [LND]: Ngiti (Kutsch Lojenga, 1994: 290 -293, 297 -299) a. ålàtå jump (itive) i¯làtå jump (ventive) ºtsùtå enter (itive) ¡tsùtå enter (ventive) b. ådzºtå be forgotten ¡dzòtå forget (something) º'cùtå dry (of fish) ¡'c„tå dry (fish) [MAS]: Mangbetu (Larochette, 1958: 27 -28, 183 -196) a. -Òmbá porter, conduire -Àmbá apporter, amener -Òkù repartir -Àkú revenir b. -òrú s’éveiller -èérú réveiller -Òmuá pourrir -Àámuá faire pourrir [MEF]: Mamvu (Vorbichler, 1971: 191, 199) a. òrº gehen Åré kommen Ònj¡ heimgehen Änjí heimkommen b. åmvù trinken ìmv„ tränken Òjå leuchten Ûjå erleuchten [KRS] ? ? ?

Conclusion If not (yet) decisive, strong indices in favour of the genetic unity of CSD (except KRS? ) At least worthwhile to have a deeper look at the different points mentioned (consonants, morphology, and further ones? )

‘Ref. Lex’ project (Resp. Guillaume Segerer) Reference lexicons/dictionaries of African languages online Processing tools comprising a CSD component (14 languages) (P. Boyeldieu, P. Nougayrol, G. Segerer) [SBB]: Modo, Bongo, Yulu, Sar, *SBB [MMD]: Ma’di, Logbara, Logo [LND]: Thadha (lendu), Bbadha (lendu) [MAS]: Mangbetu [MEF]: Mamvu, Lese [KRS]: Birri

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