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Zaghawa language

January 01, 1970

Zaghawa is a Nilo-Saharan language spoken by the Zaghawa people of east-central Chad (in the Sahel) and northwestern Sudan (Darfur). The people who speak this language call it Beria, from Beri, the endonym of the Zaghawa people, and a, Zaghawa for "mouth". It has been estimated that there are about 447,400 native speakers of the Zaghawa language, who primarily live in Chad and the Darfur region of Sudan. It is also spoken by a smaller number of speakers in Libya.

Zaghawa
Beṛia
Native toChad, Sudan
Regionnortheastern Chad, northwestern Sudan
EthnicityZaghawa, Awlad Mana
Native speakers
450,000 (2019–2022)[1]
Dialects
Zaghawa alphabet (proposed)
Latin alphabet
Language codes
ISO 639-3zag
Glottologzagh1240
Linguasphere02-CAA-aa
This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA.

Dialects edit

Zaghawa clans are:[2]

  • Beria (Arabic: Zaghawa)
  • Tuba (Arabic: Bideyat): Biria, Brogat
  • Kube (Arabic: Zaghawa): Dirong, Guruf, Kube, Kapka
  • Wegi (Arabic: Twer)

Zaghawa dialects, which do not always correspond to clan divisions, are:[2]

Dialect Other names Clans Population Major communities Locations
Tuba Bideyat (Arabic), Borogat Biria, Brogat 15,000 Bahaï, Bao Bilia, Kalaït Chad: canton Kobé-Nord-Est (Iriba s.p.); sub-prefectures Bao Bilia and Kalaït (Ennedi prefecture); Sudan: Northern Dar Fur
Dirong-Guruf Durong, Gourouf Dirong, Guruf 4,000 Ebiri, Mardébé, Tronga Chad: cantons Dirong and Gourouf, and a few villages in Kapka canton (Iriba s.p.)
Kube Zaghawa (Arabic), Kobe Kapka, Kige, Kuba 25,000 Bakaoré (Matadjana), Iriba, Kouba, Tiné Chad: cantons Kapka, Kobé-Nord-Est, Kobé-Nord-Ouest, and Kobé-Sud (Iriba s.p.); Sudan: Northern Dar Fur (near the Chadian border)
Wegi Twer (Arabic), Artagh, Gala, Wagí Wegi 100,000 Ambodu, Kornoye, Kutum Sudan: Northern Dar Fur

Phonology edit

Vowels edit

Zaghawa has a nine-vowel system with advanced-tongue-root vowel harmony. The vowels fall into two sets:

  • /i e o u/
  • /ɪ ɛ a ɔ ʊ/,

with the vowels of affixes depending on the set of vowels in the stem, and with /a/ functioning in both sets. There is some variation among dialects as to the presence of a tenth vowel, /ə/, which in some dialects functions as the +ATR counterpart of /a/. Diphthongs are /ei əu iə/ and /aɪ aʊ ɔɪ/.

Consonants edit

Consonants are simple:

Labial Alveolar Postalveolar Palatal Velar Pharyngeal Glottal
Stop voiceless p t k
voiced b d g
Fricative voiceless f s ʃ (ħ) h
voiced (ʒ)
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Approximant l j w
Trill r
Tap ɾ
  • /p b t d k ɡ, m n ɲ ŋ, f s ʃ h, ɾ r, l j w/.

Osman also includes /ʒ ħ/ in this list. /ʃ/ occurs primarily in the Sudanese dialect as a variant of /s/ appearing before /i/. The phonemic status of the rhotics are unclear: Osman states that [ɾ r] may be exchanged without any change in meaning, yet maintains that they are distinct phonemes. Of the obstruents, /p/ may not occur word-initially, and only /p t k s/ may occur word-finally, with /b/ in final position in some dialects. /r/ may not occur word-initially, and /f ɾ/ only appear in the middle of words, as in /tòrfù/ 'bird'.

Tone edit

There are five tones, high, mid, low, rising, falling, all of which may occur on simple vowels, for example in /ɪ́ɡɪ́/ I watered, /ɪ̌ɡɪ̂/ I said, /ɪ̀ɡɪ̀/ right (direction). Tone distinguishes words, but also has grammatical functions; for example, the plural of many nouns is formed by changing the tone of the final syllable from low to high, and the perfective aspect of many verbs is similarly formed by changing the tone of the final syllable from low to high.

Syllable structure edit

Words tend to be short, often CV and CVCV. The most complex syllables are CVC and CRV, where R is either of the two rhotics.

Orthography edit

In the 1950s, a Zaghawa schoolteacher named Adam Tajir created an alphabet for the Zaghawa language that was based on the clan identification marks (brands). Sometimes known as the camel alphabet, he based the phoneme choice on the Arabic language rather than on Zaghawa. Also, some of the marks were longer than others, which made it harder to use it as a computer font.

In 2000, a Beri veterinarian named Siddick Adam Issa prepared an improved version of the alphabet which is named Beria Giray Erfe (Beria Writing Marks). In 2007, this system of writing was turned into a computer font by Seonil Yun in cooperation with SIL International and the Mission Protestante Franco-Suisse au Tchad.[3]

There is also an Arabic script alphabet under development, based on the Tijani system of writing African languages in the 13th century.

Notes edit

  1. ^ Zaghawa at Ethnologue (27th ed., 2024)  
  2. ^ a b Anonby, Erik John and Johnson, Eric. 2001. A sociolinguistic survey of the Zaghawa (Beria) of Chad and Sudan, p.9. Moursal-N'Djaména, Chad: Association SIL Tchad.
  3. ^ http://scripts.sil.org/ZaghawaBeria_Home Zaghawa Beria Font

References edit

  • Jakobi, Angelika; Crass, Joachim (2004). Grammaire du beria (langue saharienne). Cologne: Rudiger Koppe. ISBN 978-3-89645-136-1.
  • Khidir, Zakaria Fadoul (1999). . University of Leipzig Papers on Africa. Vol. 11. University of Leipzig. ISBN 3-932632-40-0. Archived from the original on 2020-06-04.
  • Khidir, Zakaria Fadoul (2001). . University of Leipzig Papers on Africa. Vol. 17. University of Leipzig. ISBN 3-935999-00-3. Archived from the original on 2020-06-06.
  • MacMichael, H. A. (July–December 1912). "Notes on the Zaghawa and the People of Gebel Midob, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan". The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. 42: 288–344. doi:10.2307/2843192. JSTOR 2843192.
  • Osman, Suleiman Norein (2006). "Phonology of the Zaghawa Language in Sudan". In Abu-Manga, Al-Amin; Gilley, Leoma; Storch, Anne (eds.). Insights into Nilo-Saharan Language, History and Culture: Proceedings of the 9th Nilo-Saharan Linguistic Colloquium, University of Khartoum. Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe. pp. 347–361. ISBN 978-3-89645-660-1.
  • Tubiana, Joseph (1963). "Note sur la langue des zaghawa". Travaux de XXVe congrès internationale des orientalistes. Moscow: 614–619.
  • Tubiana, Marie-Josée (1964). Survivances préislamiques en pays zaghawa. Paris: Université de Paris.
  • Tubiana, Marie-Josée (1985). Des troupeaux et de femmes: Mariage et transferts de biens chez les Beri (Zaghawa et Bideyat) du Tchad et du Soudan. Paris: L’Harmattan.
  • Tubiana, Marie-Josée; Tubiana, Joseph, eds. (1995). Contes Zaghawa du Tchad. Paris: L’Harmattan.

External links edit

  • Suleiman Osman: Phonology of Zaghawa Language in Sudan 2012-02-29 at the Wayback Machine (presented at the 9th Nilo-Saharan colloquium at Khartoum)
  • Zaghawa Beria Computer Font
  • ELAR documentation on the Sudanese dialectal variant of Zaghawa

January 01, 1970
zaghawa, language, zaghawa, nilo, saharan, language, spoken, zaghawa, people, east, central, chad, sahel, northwestern, sudan, darfur, people, speak, this, language, call, beria, from, beri, endonym, zaghawa, people, zaghawa, mouth, been, estimated, that, ther. Zaghawa is a Nilo Saharan language spoken by the Zaghawa people of east central Chad in the Sahel and northwestern Sudan Darfur The people who speak this language call it Beria from Beri the endonym of the Zaghawa people and a Zaghawa for mouth It has been estimated that there are about 447 400 native speakers of the Zaghawa language who primarily live in Chad and the Darfur region of Sudan It is also spoken by a smaller number of speakers in Libya ZaghawaBeṛiaNative toChad SudanRegionnortheastern Chad northwestern SudanEthnicityZaghawa Awlad ManaNative speakers450 000 2019 2022 1 Language familyNilo Saharan SaharanEasternZaghawaDialectsBidayat Tuba Wagi Twer Kube Dirong Guruf BrogatWriting systemZaghawa alphabet proposed Latin alphabetLanguage codesISO 639 3 a href https iso639 3 sil org code zag class extiw title iso639 3 zag zag a Glottologzagh1240Linguasphere02 CAA aaThis article contains IPA phonetic symbols Without proper rendering support you may see question marks boxes or other symbols instead of Unicode characters For an introductory guide on IPA symbols see Help IPA Contents 1 Dialects 2 Phonology 2 1 Vowels 2 2 Consonants 2 3 Tone 2 4 Syllable structure 3 Orthography 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksDialects editZaghawa clans are 2 Beria Arabic Zaghawa Tuba Arabic Bideyat Biria Brogat Kube Arabic Zaghawa Dirong Guruf Kube Kapka Wegi Arabic Twer Zaghawa dialects which do not always correspond to clan divisions are 2 Dialect Other names Clans Population Major communities Locations Tuba Bideyat Arabic Borogat Biria Brogat 15 000 Bahai Bao Bilia Kalait Chad canton Kobe Nord Est Iriba s p sub prefectures Bao Bilia and Kalait Ennedi prefecture Sudan Northern Dar Fur Dirong Guruf Durong Gourouf Dirong Guruf 4 000 Ebiri Mardebe Tronga Chad cantons Dirong and Gourouf and a few villages in Kapka canton Iriba s p Kube Zaghawa Arabic Kobe Kapka Kige Kuba 25 000 Bakaore Matadjana Iriba Kouba Tine Chad cantons Kapka Kobe Nord Est Kobe Nord Ouest and Kobe Sud Iriba s p Sudan Northern Dar Fur near the Chadian border Wegi Twer Arabic Artagh Gala Wagi Wegi 100 000 Ambodu Kornoye Kutum Sudan Northern Dar FurPhonology editVowels edit Zaghawa has a nine vowel system with advanced tongue root vowel harmony The vowels fall into two sets i e o u ɪ ɛ a ɔ ʊ with the vowels of affixes depending on the set of vowels in the stem and with a functioning in both sets There is some variation among dialects as to the presence of a tenth vowel e which in some dialects functions as the ATR counterpart of a Diphthongs are ei eu ie and aɪ aʊ ɔɪ Consonants edit Consonants are simple Labial Alveolar Postalveolar Palatal Velar Pharyngeal Glottal Stop voiceless p t k voiced b d g Fricative voiceless f s ʃ ħ h voiced ʒ Nasal m n ɲ ŋ Approximant l j w Trill r Tap ɾ p b t d k ɡ m n ɲ ŋ f s ʃ h ɾ r l j w Osman also includes ʒ ħ in this list ʃ occurs primarily in the Sudanese dialect as a variant of s appearing before i The phonemic status of the rhotics are unclear Osman states that ɾ r may be exchanged without any change in meaning yet maintains that they are distinct phonemes Of the obstruents p may not occur word initially and only p t k s may occur word finally with b in final position in some dialects r may not occur word initially and f ɾ only appear in the middle of words as in torfu bird Tone edit There are five tones high mid low rising falling all of which may occur on simple vowels for example in ɪ ɡɪ I watered ɪ ɡɪ I said ɪ ɡɪ right direction Tone distinguishes words but also has grammatical functions for example the plural of many nouns is formed by changing the tone of the final syllable from low to high and the perfective aspect of many verbs is similarly formed by changing the tone of the final syllable from low to high Syllable structure edit Words tend to be short often CV and CVCV The most complex syllables are CVC and CRV where R is either of the two rhotics Orthography editIn the 1950s a Zaghawa schoolteacher named Adam Tajir created an alphabet for the Zaghawa language that was based on the clan identification marks brands Sometimes known as the camel alphabet he based the phoneme choice on the Arabic language rather than on Zaghawa Also some of the marks were longer than others which made it harder to use it as a computer font In 2000 a Beri veterinarian named Siddick Adam Issa prepared an improved version of the alphabet which is named Beria Giray Erfe Beria Writing Marks In 2007 this system of writing was turned into a computer font by Seonil Yun in cooperation with SIL International and the Mission Protestante Franco Suisse au Tchad 3 There is also an Arabic script alphabet under development based on the Tijani system of writing African languages in the 13th century Notes edit Zaghawa at Ethnologue 27th ed 2024 nbsp a b Anonby Erik John and Johnson Eric 2001 A sociolinguistic survey of the Zaghawa Beria of Chad and Sudan p 9 Moursal N Djamena Chad Association SIL Tchad http scripts sil org ZaghawaBeria Home Zaghawa Beria FontReferences editJakobi Angelika Crass Joachim 2004 Grammaire du beria langue saharienne Cologne Rudiger Koppe ISBN 978 3 89645 136 1 Khidir Zakaria Fadoul 1999 Lexique des plantes connues Beri du Tchad University of Leipzig Papers on Africa Vol 11 University of Leipzig ISBN 3 932632 40 0 Archived from the original on 2020 06 04 Khidir Zakaria Fadoul 2001 Lexique des animaux chez les Beri du Tchad University of Leipzig Papers on Africa Vol 17 University of Leipzig ISBN 3 935999 00 3 Archived from the original on 2020 06 06 MacMichael H A July December 1912 Notes on the Zaghawa and the People of Gebel Midob Anglo Egyptian Sudan The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 42 288 344 doi 10 2307 2843192 JSTOR 2843192 Osman Suleiman Norein 2006 Phonology of the Zaghawa Language in Sudan In Abu Manga Al Amin Gilley Leoma Storch Anne eds Insights into Nilo Saharan Language History and Culture Proceedings of the 9th Nilo Saharan Linguistic Colloquium University of Khartoum Cologne Rudiger Koppe pp 347 361 ISBN 978 3 89645 660 1 Tubiana Joseph 1963 Note sur la langue des zaghawa Travaux de XXVe congres internationale des orientalistes Moscow 614 619 Tubiana Marie Josee 1964 Survivances preislamiques en pays zaghawa Paris Universite de Paris Tubiana Marie Josee 1985 Des troupeaux et de femmes Mariage et transferts de biens chez les Beri Zaghawa et Bideyat du Tchad et du Soudan Paris L Harmattan Tubiana Marie Josee Tubiana Joseph eds 1995 Contes Zaghawa du Tchad Paris L Harmattan External links editSuleiman Osman Phonology of Zaghawa Language in Sudan Archived 2012 02 29 at the Wayback Machine presented at the 9th Nilo Saharan colloquium at Khartoum Zaghawa Beria Computer Font ELAR documentation on the Sudanese dialectal variant of Zaghawa Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Zaghawa language amp oldid 1215754156, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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