The Kadu languages, also known as Kadugli–Krongo or Tumtum, are a small language family of the Kordofanian geographic grouping, once included in Niger–Congo. However, since Thilo Schadeberg (1981), Kadu is widely seen as Nilo-Saharan. Evidence for a Niger-Congo affiliation is rejected, and a Nilo-Saharan relationship is controversial. A conservative classification would treat the Kadu languages as an independent family.

Classification

Blench (2006) notes that Kadu languages share similarities with multiple African language phyla, including Niger-Congo and Nilo-Saharan, suggesting a complex history of linguistic convergence and contact. However, more recently, Blench states that Kadu is almost certainly Nilo-Saharan, with its closest relationship being with Eastern Sudanic.

Like the Nilotic, Surmic, and Kuliak languages, Kadu languages have verb-initial word order. However, most other languages of the Nuba Mountains, Darfur, and the Sudan-Ethiopia border region have verb-final word order.

Branches

There are three branches:

Classification

Hall & Hall (2004), based on Schadeberg (1987), classify the languages as follows.

KaduKeiga Kamda, Tulishi Damba, Kadugli Miri Katcha, Tuna Kanga, Kufa, Kursi, Lima, Shororo Krongo-Abdullah, Tumma Krongo-Tabanya Kurondi, Talasa, Tumtum
Keiga
Kamda, Tulishi Damba, Kadugli Miri Katcha, Tuna Kanga, Kufa, Kursi, Lima, Shororo Krongo-Abdullah, Tumma Krongo-Tabanya Kurondi, Talasa, Tumtum
Kamda, Tulishi Damba, Kadugli Miri Katcha, Tuna Kanga, Kufa, Kursi, Lima, Shororo Krongo-Abdullah, Tumma
Kamda, Tulishi
Damba, Kadugli Miri Katcha, Tuna Kanga, Kufa, Kursi, Lima, Shororo Krongo-Abdullah, Tumma
Damba, Kadugli Miri Katcha, Tuna
Damba, Kadugli
Miri
Katcha, Tuna
Kanga, Kufa, Kursi, Lima, Shororo Krongo-Abdullah, Tumma
Kanga, Kufa, Kursi, Lima, Shororo
Krongo-Abdullah, Tumma
Krongo-Tabanya Kurondi, Talasa, Tumtum
Krongo-Tabanya
Kurondi, Talasa, Tumtum

Dafalla (2000) compares 179 cognates in Kadugli, Kamda, Kanga, Katcha, Keiga, Kufa, Miri, Shororo-Kursi, and Tulishi. Dafalla's (2000) results are similarly to those of Schadeberg (1989).

Reconstructions

Some Kadu quasi-reconstructions by Blench (2006):

GlossProto-Kadu
bone**-kub-
to cut, split**deŋ-
to dance, sing, play**bila
give**-ɲa
head**-tu
rat, mouse**-fɛ
five**turu

Comparative vocabulary

Sample basic vocabulary for Kadu languages:

Languagename of languagename of peoplename of localityeyeeyesearearsnosetoothteethtonguetonguesmouthmouthsbloodbonebonestreetreeswatereat (imperative)namenames
Mudot̪u-muɗoka-muɗoáyyeɲéne (e ~ ɪ)neesɔkisínɛɔ́ŋgɔ́rɔk/n-t̪íŋíniííniëëdɔniŋgɔ́ɔ́dɔníínɔniináádi(t̪iŋ-)/aríídagúbagubúúninde-aadík-aadíɓííd̪íuríɛrɛnɛ́ŋgɛ́rɛ
Yegangsani ma-yɛgaŋ; d̪-aygaka-yɛgaŋɗi ma-yɛgaŋ; k-ɛɛgaŋayyɛnigɛ́ɛ́nɛ́nɔɔsɔ ~ nɔssɔanɔ́ɔ́sɔ́ɓ-/arwɔk (nostril)t̪ɪŋɪnɪkɪɪnɪt̪aŋʊɗɔanɗɔ́ɔ́nɛ́niinʊnamnáád̪íarid̪ʊt̪úŋʊ́ɓakooɓát̪aŋaɗíkaaɗíɓiid̪ikurɪ́ɛrɛkɛrɛ́ɛ́nɛ́
Kufot̪iŋ-guufɔkud̪u maa-guufɔkuufɔɛɛiyyɛnɛɛsɔ́íʃinɛmɔɔrɔ/níŋgɔrɔnd̪iŋiníŋiiniŋɔɗɔní-ŋáɗɔniinɔnittir̀ɗʊkuɓakuɓɔɔniffafáád̪ánɛɓeeʃiʊʊriɛɛrɛnigirɛɛnɛ
Miriti-miri, t̪umma maa-mirikad̪u maa-miri, kad̪u maa-faɗɔɲɲa maa-miriɔɔyɛiiyɛnɛɛsɔisinɛ́úmb-/nugúŋg-ɔrɔk (nostril)t̪í-ŋíniŋíni(ŋ)ŋáɗɔnagáŋgáɗɔniinɔniginíínɔariid̪ut̪uŋuɓakuɓʊʊníffanááfaɓiid̪iágúrriɛɛrɛnigirɛɛnɛ
Tallat̪in-d̪allakaa-d̪allat̪allaayyɛiyyɛnaasɔisinɛ́ámb-/nigáŋg-árɔkt̪-iŋŋiniiŋŋiniáŋdáɗukni-ŋ́gɔɗɔniinɔniginíínɔariid̪ʊt̪iŋgubakubaffanááfaɓiid̪iooriɛɛrɛnigirɛɛnɛ
Tolibit̪ʊn-d̪uunu, t̪umma maa-d̪uunu; t̪olibi[11]ku-d̪uunuku-d̪uunuɔɔeiyyenɛɛsɔiisɛ́nɛ́ḿbarɔ/nʊgʊ́mbárɔt̪íŋ-giniii-giniŋ́gɔɗɔnugúŋgɔ́ɗɔniinɔnáá-, nɛ́ɛ́-níínɔ(ǹd̪ɛ́!ríídó)/á!ríídókʊɓakʊɓooníaffánnááfaɓiid̪iaguriɛɛrɛnɪgɛrɛɛnɛ́
Sangalit̪umma ka-saŋaalika-saŋaalika-saŋaaliaayaiiyɛnaasɔeasanaɓ-/nag-ɔŋgɔ́rɔcíɲ(g)iniáginia-ŋgɔ́ɗɔnɔ-, (n)agʊ-niinʊniinʊnaginíínʊariid̪ʊt̪ʊ́gʊ́ɓííníkúɓíínífaafáád̪anaɓííjí (j ~ d̪)agúrí(ɛ)ááránɛgɛ́ráána
Krongoniinʊ mɔ-ɗikad̪u mɔ-ɗiɓalí-m-ɔyʊ(kalí-m-)iiyʊnɛaasʊnísinɛamʊ́ʊ́ni/nɪgámʊʊnit̪ɪn-jɪnɪɪ-jɪnɪcɔɔɗɔníjɔɔɗɔniinɔmunɔ́ɔ́d̪iʌ́ríd̪ɔkúɓʊ́ʊ́ínugúɓʊ́ʊ́níffanáfat̪aniɓiid̪iágʊ́rɪyaarinigíɲaari
Talasat̪alasakaa-d̪alasaayyɛkilyá-m-íyyɛnɛɛsɔnɛ́sínɛa-mʊ́ʊ́nɛ/nɛ́ga-t̪i-giníníd̪í-ginít̪ɔŋɔɗɔ́nid̪ɔ́ŋɔɗɔ́niinanim̀naad̪iard̪akʊ́ɓʊ́ʊ́nínʊ́gʊ́ɓʊ́ʊ́níffanááfaɓiigiaguriɛɛrɛ

Numerals

Comparison of numerals in individual languages:

Language12345678910
Katcha (1)ŋkɔ́tɔ́ɛɛɾaíd̪ɔːnaiɡiisoit id̪úmúit id̪úmú úfúń ŋkɔ́tɔ́it id̪úmú úfúń ɛɛɾait id̪úmú úfúń íd̪ɔːnait id̪úmú úfúń iɡiisoad̪aɓaaɡa
Kadugli (Talla dialect) (2)ŋ́ɡɔ̀ʈɔ̀k / 'ŋ́ɡàʈɔ̀kɛ́ːràɔ̀'dɔ́ːnàí'ɡízòù'dúmːùǹ̩dɪ̀nà'nɔ́ːɡɔ̀ʈìˈmízòùdúmːúˈdɪ̀stàìˈzántàɔ̀ˈlɔ́ːnà
Keigat̪ɔ́larʲáŋt̪ɔ̀nakisːot̪ʊ́mʊt̪ʊmaɲúŋɡʊaŋɗʊ́rkàabːat̪aɲuŋɡaʲamdí
Krongot-yuŋwat-yáaryàt-yóotòonòt-yóocìisòàrwá-tì-nìisò (litː 'hit/beat-SGT-hand')àttì kí-tì nyúŋwáàttì kí-tì nyáaryààttì kí-tì nyóotòonòàttì kí-tì nyóocìisòàttì kí-tì n-árwá-tì-nìiso
Tulishi (Kamda dialect)kɔ̀ʈːɔ̀kkɑ̀ːrɑ́ʔtɔ́ːnɑ̀ʔtíːsòʔtʊ̀mːʊ̀ʔrɔ̀sːɑ̀ʔkɔ́rɖɑ́ʈːɑ̀ʔɑ̀ʈːɑ́ʔkɔ́rómɑ́dɔ̀ɓːɑ́tɔ̀ɓːɑ́ʔ

See also

  • Kadu word lists (Wiktionary)

Further reading

  • Blench, Roger. 2006. . Al-Amin Abu-Manga, L. Gilley & A. Storch eds. 101–127. Köln: Rüdiger Köppe.
  • Blench, Roger (2019). . 14th Nilo-Saharan Linguistics Colloquium, Department of African Studies, University of Vienna.
  • Stevenson, Roland; Roger Blench (ed). .
  • Reh, Mechthild. 1983. Die Krongo-Sprache (nììnò mó-dì): Beschreibung, Texte, Wörterverzeichnis. (Kölner Beiträge zur Afrikanistik, 12.) Berlin: Dietrich Reimer.
  • Schadeberg, Thilo. 1994. Comparative Kadu Wordlists. Afrikanistische Arbeitspapiere 40:11–48. University of Cologne.

Notes and references

  • Dafalla, Rihab Yahia. 2000. A Phonological Comparison of the Katcha Kadugli Language Groups in the Nuba Mountains. M.A. Dissertation, University of Khartoum.
  • Schadeberg, Thilo C. 1981. . Nilo-Saharan, ed. by T. C. Schadeberg and M. Lionel Bender, pp. 291–305. Dordrecht: Foris Publications.