Nalu language
| Nalu | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Guinea, Guinea-Bissau |
Native speakers | (22,000 cited 1993–2006)[1] |
Niger–Congo?
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | naj |
| Glottolog | nalu1240 |
| ELP | Nalu |
Nalu (also known as Nalou[2]) is an Atlantic language of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau in Africa.[3] It is spoken predominantly by adults. It is estimated to be spoken by a range of 10,000 to 25,000 people.[2] It is considered an endangered language due to its dwindling population of speakers. Nalu is spoken primarily by the Nalu people of Africa.[4]
Classification
Nalu is part of the Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, and Mbulugish-Nalu classifications.[5][6]
History
The Nalu people who speak Nalu have been described as settling in West Africa before the Mandinka people.[7] This would place them as existing in West Africa between the 14th and 15th centuries. Today, the Nalu speakers are shifting toward the Susu language which is gaining more popularity in Guinea.[8] It has a predominantly adult speaking population. The next generation is being passed on the language, however, in a few remote villages around Katoufoura.
Geographic Distribution
Nalu is spoken predominantly on the littorals, or shore regions, of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.[9] Most Nalu speakers in Guinea live north of the Nuñez River on the Tristão islands, in the sub-prefecture of Kanfarandé which is the prefecture of Boké. In Guinea-Bissau, most speakers of Nalu live in the Cacine estuary in the Tombali region.[10]
Vocabulary
Nalu underwent a sound change in its language.[11] Sound change generally occurs due to what sounds require less effort for the speaker. These sound changes are usually limited to each dialect in a language and examples of the Nalu language sound changes are in the section below. Nalu has six dialects. Three are spoken in Guinea-Conakry and three are spoken in Guinée-Bissau.[11] However, the relationship between the dialects is unknown.
Examples
| English | Nalu |
|---|---|
| man | be-cel |
| dirty/black | m-balax |
| cold | m-hon |
| arrow | n-kiam |
| axe | n-wōfañ |
| blood | a-nyak |
| bow | m-firl |
| brother | n-wōke |
| chief/king | m-fem/be-fem |
| devil/evil spirit | m-banjon |
| medicine man (doctor) | mi-let |
| fire | met |
| god | gu-dana |
| moon | m-bilañ |
| night | fot |
| slave | m-bōl |
| snake | mi-sis |
Verbs[12]
| English | Nalu |
|---|---|
| to come | m-ba |
| to kill | rama |
| to die | n-ref |
Sound Changes Over Time[11]
| English | Pre-Sound Change Nalu | Post-Sound Change Nalu |
|---|---|---|
| bone | nhol | a-hol |
| mouth | n-sol | a-sol |
| to kill | m-rama | rama |
| man | nlam-cel | be-cel |
| eye | n-cet | a-cet |
References
- ^ Nalu at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ a b "Did you know Nalu is vulnerable?". Endangered Languages. Retrieved 2017-03-09.
- ^ Seidel, Frank (2012). "Language Documentation of Nalu in Guinea, West Africa" (PDF). Center for African Studies Research Report: 18.
- ^ Hair, P. E. H. (1967). "Ethnolinguistic Continuity on the Guinea Coast". The Journal of African History. 8: 253.
- ^ "Nalu". The Endangered Languages Project. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ Simons, G. & Fennig, C. "Nalu". Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Rodney, Walter (1970). A History of the Upper Guinea Coast. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
- ^ Seidel, Frank (2017). "Nalu Language Archive". Endangered Languages Archive. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ Appiah, K. & Gates, H. (2010). Encyclopedia of Africa. Oxford University Press. p. 213.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Project Gallery". Endangered Language Documentation Programme. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ a b c d Voeltz, F. K. Erhard (1996). "Les Langues de la Guinée". Cahiers d'Etude des Langues Guinéennes. 1: 24–25.
- ^ a b Johnston, H (1919). A Comparative Study of the Bantu and Semi-Bantu Languages. Clarendon Press: Oxford. pp. 750–772).
External links
- Glottolog
- Joshua Project
- ELAR archive of Nalu Language
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