Nalu language
Atlantic language of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau
| Nalu | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Guinea, Guinea-Bissau |
Native speakers | 23,000 (2017–2018)[1] |
Language family | Niger–Congo?
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | naj |
| Glottolog | nalu1240 |
| ELP | Nalu |
Nalu (nalɛ, nul;[2] also spelled Nalou[3]) is an Atlantic language of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, spoken by the Nalu people, a West African people who settled the region before the arrival of the Mandinka in the 14th or 15th centuries.[4] It is spoken predominantly by adults. It is estimated to be spoken by a range of 10,000 to 25,000 people,[3] whereas Wilson (2007) reports that there are around 12,000 speakers.[2] It is considered an endangered language due to its dwindling population of speakers.[5]
Classification
Contrary to prior classifications, Güldemann (2018) classifies Nalu as unclassified within Niger-Congo. It also does not form a subgroup with the Rio Nunez languages.[6]
Nalu is traditionally classified as Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Mbulugish-Nalu.[7][8]
History
The Nalu people who speak Nalu have been described as settling in West Africa before the Mandinka people.[9] This would place them as existing in West Africa between the 14th and 15th centuries. Wilson (2007) reports that the Nalu people had originally come from Guinea-Bissau.[2]
Today, the Nalu speakers are shifting toward the Susu language which is gaining more popularity in Guinea.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12]
Phonology
| Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Labiovelar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plosive | p b | t d | c | g | gb |
| Fricative | f | θ, s | h | ||
| Nasal | m | n | ŋ | ||
| Approximant | w | r, l | j |
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | i iː | u uː | |
| Mid-high | e eː | o oː | |
| Mid-low | ɛ ɛː | ɔ ɔː | |
| Low | a aː |
- It is unclear whether vowel length is phonemic.
Vocabulary
Nalu underwent a sound change in its language.[13] 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.[13] 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[14]
| English | Nalu |
|---|---|
| to come | m-ba |
| to kill | rama |
| to die | n-ref |
Sound Changes Over Time[13]
| 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 (25th ed., 2022)
- ^ a b c d e Wilson, William André Auquier. 2007. Guinea Languages of the Atlantic group: description and internal classification. (Schriften zur Afrikanistik, 12.) Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.
- ^ 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 (2): 253. doi:10.1017/s0021853700007040. JSTOR 179482. S2CID 161528479.
- ^ Güldemann, Tom (2018). "Historical linguistics and genealogical language classification in Africa". In Güldemann, Tom (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of Africa. The World of Linguistics series. Vol. 11. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 58–444. doi:10.1515/9783110421668-002. ISBN 978-3-11-042606-9. S2CID 133888593.
- ^ "Nalu". The Endangered Languages Project. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
- ^ Simons, G. & Fennig, C. "Nalu". Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
{{cite web}}: 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d Voeltz, F. K. Erhard (1996). "Les Langues de la Guinée". Cahiers d'Étude 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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