Kadu languages


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, 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 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, 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:
Hall & Hall, based on Schadeberg, classify the languages as follows.
Dafalla compares 179 cognates in Kadugli, Kamda, Kanga, Katcha, Keiga, Kufa, Miri, Shororo-Kursi, and Tulishi. Dafalla's results are similarly to those of Schadeberg.

Reconstructions

Some Kadu quasi-reconstructions by Blench :
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 namenames
Mudot̪u-muɗoka-muɗoáyyeɲéne neesɔkisínɛɔ́ŋgɔ́rɔk/n-t̪íŋíniííniëëdɔniŋgɔ́ɔ́dɔníínɔniináádi/aríídagúbagubúúninde-aadík-aadíɓííd̪íuríɛrɛnɛ́ŋgɛ́rɛ
Yegangsani ma-yɛgaŋ; d̪-aygaka-yɛgaŋɗi ma-yɛgaŋ; k-ɛɛgaŋayyɛnigɛ́ɛ́nɛ́nɔɔsɔ ~ nɔssɔanɔ́ɔ́sɔ́ɓ-/arwɔk t̪ɪŋɪnɪkɪɪnɪt̪aŋʊɗɔanɗɔ́ɔ́nɛ́niinʊnamnáád̪íarid̪ʊt̪úŋʊ́ɓakooɓát̪aŋaɗíkaaɗíɓiid̪ikurɪ́ɛrɛkɛrɛ́ɛ́nɛ́
Kufot̪iŋ-guufɔkud̪u maa-guufɔkuufɔɛɛiyyɛnɛɛsɔ́íʃinɛmɔɔrɔ/níŋgɔrɔnd̪iŋiníŋiiniŋɔɗɔní-ŋáɗɔniinɔnittir̀ɗʊkuɓakuɓɔɔniffafáád̪ánɛɓeeʃiʊʊriɛɛrɛnigirɛɛnɛ
Miriti-miri, t̪umma maa-mirikad̪u maa-miri, kad̪u maa-faɗɔɲɲa maa-miriɔɔyɛiiyɛnɛɛsɔisinɛ́úmb-/nugúŋg-ɔrɔk t̪í-ŋíniŋíniŋáɗɔnagáŋgáɗɔniinɔniginíínɔariid̪ut̪uŋuɓakuɓʊʊníffanááfaɓiid̪iágúrriɛɛrɛnigirɛɛnɛ
Tallat̪in-d̪allakaa-d̪allat̪allaayyɛiyyɛnaasɔisinɛ́ámb-/nigáŋg-árɔkt̪-iŋŋiniiŋŋiniáŋdáɗukni-ŋ́gɔɗɔniinɔniginíínɔariid̪ʊt̪iŋgubakubaffanááfaɓiid̪iooriɛɛrɛnigirɛɛnɛ
Tolibit̪ʊn-d̪uunu, t̪umma maa-d̪uunu; t̪olibiku-d̪uunuku-d̪uunuɔɔeiyyenɛɛsɔiisɛ́nɛ́ḿbarɔ/nʊgʊ́mbárɔt̪íŋ-giniii-giniŋ́gɔɗɔnugúŋgɔ́ɗɔniinɔnáá-, nɛ́ɛ́-níínɔ/á!ríídókʊɓakʊɓooníaffánnááfaɓiid̪iaguriɛɛrɛnɪgɛrɛɛnɛ́
Sangalit̪umma ka-saŋaalika-saŋaalika-saŋaaliaayaiiyɛnaasɔeasanaɓ-/nag-ɔŋgɔ́rɔcíɲiniáginia-ŋgɔ́ɗɔnɔ-, agʊ-niinʊniinʊnaginíínʊariid̪ʊt̪ʊ́gʊ́ɓííníkúɓíínífaafáád̪anaɓííjí agúríááránɛgɛ́ráána
Krongoniinʊ mɔ-ɗikad̪u mɔ-ɗiɓalí-m-ɔyʊiiyʊnɛaasʊnísinɛamʊ́ʊ́ni/nɪgámʊʊnit̪ɪn-jɪnɪɪ-jɪnɪcɔɔɗɔníjɔɔɗɔniinɔmunɔ́ɔ́d̪iʌ́ríd̪ɔkúɓʊ́ʊ́ínugúɓʊ́ʊ́níffanáfat̪aniɓiid̪iágʊ́rɪyaarinigíɲaari
Talasat̪alasakaa-d̪alasaayyɛkilyá-m-íyyɛnɛɛsɔnɛ́sínɛa-mʊ́ʊ́nɛ/nɛ́ga-t̪i-giníníd̪í-ginít̪ɔŋɔɗɔ́nid̪ɔ́ŋɔɗɔ́niinanim̀naad̪iard̪akʊ́ɓʊ́ʊ́nínʊ́gʊ́ɓʊ́ʊ́níffanááfaɓiigiaguriɛɛrɛ

Numerals

Comparison of numerals in individual languages:
Language12345678910
ŋkɔ́tɔ́ɛɛɾaíd̪ɔːnaiɡiisoit id̪úmúit id̪úmú úfúń ŋkɔ́tɔ́it id̪úmú úfúń ɛɛɾait id̪úmú úfúń íd̪ɔːnait id̪úmú úfúń iɡiisoad̪aɓaaɡa
ŋ́ɡɔ̀ʈɔ̀k / 'ŋ́ɡàʈɔ̀kɛ́ːràɔ̀'dɔ́ːnàí'ɡízòù'dúmːùǹ̩dɪ̀nà'nɔ́ːɡɔ̀ʈìˈmízòùdúmːúˈdɪ̀stàìˈzántàɔ̀ˈlɔ́ːnà
t̪ɔ́larʲáŋt̪ɔ̀nakisːot̪ʊ́mʊt̪ʊmaɲúŋɡʊaŋɗʊ́rkàabːat̪aɲuŋɡaʲamdí
t-yuŋwat-yáaryàt-yóotòonòt-yóocìisòàrwá-tì-nìisò àttì kí-tì nyúŋwáàttì kí-tì nyáaryààttì kí-tì nyóotòonòàttì kí-tì nyóocìisòàttì kí-tì n-árwá-tì-nìiso
kɔ̀ʈːɔ̀kkɑ̀ːrɑ́ʔtɔ́ːnɑ̀ʔtíːsòʔtʊ̀mːʊ̀ʔrɔ̀sːɑ̀ʔkɔ́rɖɑ́ʈːɑ̀ʔɑ̀ʈːɑ́ʔkɔ́rómɑ́dɔ̀ɓːɑ́tɔ̀ɓːɑ́ʔ