Niellim language


The Niellim language is a Bua language spoken by some 5,000 people along the Chari River in southern Chad. It is mainly spoken in two areas: one around the city of Sarh and one, its traditional home, further north, between about 9°30′ and 9°50′ N, corresponding to the former chiefdoms of Pra, Niellim, and Niou.
Niellim borders on several languages of diverse families – in particular Sara, Ndam, and Laal – and is influenced by the local lingua franca, Baguirmi; it has itself strongly influenced Laal, but also apparently has been influenced by Laal, or a relative of Laal, since much of the common Laal–Niellim vocabulary is not Bua. It is notably homogeneous. As a small minority in Chad, its speakers usually have to learn other languages, mostly Baguirmi, Sara, Arabic, and Bua.

Phonology

The consonants are:
The vowels are, and as well as the diphthongs, and ; all except can also be given contrastive length and nasalization. Complex vowel harmony, rather similar to that found in Laal, is observable.
There are three tone levels: low, mid, high. Any syllable must bear at least one tone; it may bear any combination of two tones, or one of three three-tone combinations: LML, MLH, or HLH.

Grammar

Syntax

The typical word order is subject–verb–object ; preposition - prepositional object ; noun - adjective; possessed - possessor. However, possessive pronouns precede the noun.

Pronouns

The basic personal pronouns include: n "I", m "you", r "he, she, it", í "you ", á "they".

Nouns

Noun plural formation is quite complex, and includes some apparent relics of a now-absent noun class system; the commonest ways include combinations of internal vowel ablaut, the suffix -gɨ, a change l/n > r, and/or replacing final -a with -i.

Verbs

Each verb has two forms: indicative and optative They are distinguished by tonal pattern.
Verbs may be preceded by various particles to indicate tense, aspect, and mood: for instance wò continuous, ɓə future, ká obligation. Indirect quoted speech is preceded with the particle ɓə "that".
Verbal nouns may be formed by changing the tone pattern and/or suffixing -li or -la together with internal vowel ablaut.
Verb derivational suffixes include -n intensive, and -gɨ̀ mediopassive.

Prepositions

Common prepositions include gɨ̀ "to ", naà "with", ti "to".

Examples