Macro-Somali | |
---|---|
Somaloid | |
Geographic distribution | Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya |
Linguistic classification | Afro-Asiatic
|
Subdivisions | |
Glottolog | east2653 |
The Macro-Somali or Somaloid languages, or (in the conception of Bernd Heine, who does not include Baiso [1] ) Sam languages, are a branch of the Lowland East Cushitic languages. They are spoken in Somalia, Djibouti, eastern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya. The most widely spoken member is Somali. [2]
The primary division is between Baiso and Rendille versus the remaining languages, for which Heine proposes the terms "Eastern Sam" or "Dad". [3]
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 ⟨j⟩ | Before the vowel *i (palatalization). | |
*t | t | t, -d- | t, -d- | |
*c | tʃ | ʃ, -y- | ʃ ⟨sh⟩, -j- ⟨y⟩ | |
*k | k | k, -g- | k, -g- | |
ʃ | Before the vowel *i. | |||
*ɗ | ɖ | ɗ, -r- | ɖ ⟨dh⟩ | 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 ⟨x⟩ | |
*h | h, -ħ- | h | h | |
*z | j | d | d | |
*ʕ | ħ | ʔ | ʕ ⟨c⟩ | |
*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 ⟨y⟩ |
The Eastern Sam or Dad group is characterized by the following four changes: [4]
In Boni, several consonant clusters simplify: [5]
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