The Southern Nilotic languages are spoken mainly in western Kenya and northern Tanzania (with one of them, Kupsabiny or Sapiny, being spoken on the Ugandan side of Mount Elgon). They form a division of the larger Nilotic language family, along with the Western Nilotic languages and the Eastern Nilotic languages.
Subdivisions The Southern Nilotic languages are generally divided into two groups, Kalenjin and Tatogoa, although there is some uncertainty as to the internal coherence of the Kalenjin branch. Southern Nilotic languages appear to have been influenced considerably by Cushitic (Afro-Asiatic) languages.Rottland, Franz (1982) Die Südnilotischen Sprachen: Beschreibung, Vergleichung und Rekonstruktion (Kölner Beiträge zur Afrikanistik vol. 7). Berlin: Dietrich Reimer. The Kalenjin languages are spoken by the Kalenjin people. This family spreads all around Uganda and to some of Kenya. The Tatoga languages consist of the Omotik language and of the larger Datooga language, or more fitting, Datooga dialect cluster.
Kalenjin (see) Tatoga: Omotik, Datooga
Languages Kalenjin Elgon languages Kupsabiny Sabaot Nandi–Markweta Kipsigis Okiek Pökoot Tatogoa Datooga Omotik
Reconstruction Proto-Kalenjin has been reconstructed by Franz Rottland (1979).Rottland, Franz. 1979. The reconstruction of proto-Kalenjin. (Papers from the Inst. of African Studies (IAS), 128.) Nairobi: Institute of African Studies, University of Nairobi.
Cushitic influences Historically, Southern Nilotic has undergone extensive contact with a "missing" branch of East Cushitic that Heine (1979) refers to as Baz. Proto-Baz reconstructions proposed by Heine (1979),Heine, Bernd, Franz Rottland & Rainer Voßen. 1979. Proto-Baz: Some aspects of early Nilotic-Cushitic contacts. Sprache und Geschichte in Afrika 1. 75‒92. with notes about corresponding East Cushitic and Proto-East Cushitic forms from Sasse (1979):
Gloss Proto-Baz Proto-East Cushitic Example cognates bat *rɛɛrɛɛʕ bell *kor bovine, male *aʀ *ʔawr- 'large male animal' Saho and Somali awr, Oromo ooroo calf *maʀ cow dung, mud *zig curse (n.) *hab- *hab-aar- 'to curse' Saho and Oromo abaar, Somali habaar eat, to *am eight *siziet ewe, virgin *subeen feathers, fur *goro- fifty *konom *ken- 'five' Konso ken, Oromo shani, Somali shan fingernail, claw *ʕidd forty *afaram *ʔafar- 'four' Afar affara, Somali afar, Oromo afur goat, male *quar- goat/sheep, young *maqal grass *ʕaus *ʕawš- ~ *ʕayš- Afar qayso, Somali caws, Oromo ees head *mɛtɛħ *matħ- Arbore mete, Somali madax, Oromo mataa honey *malab *malab- Afar–Saho and Somali malab hundred *boqol *bokʼl- Saho bool, Somali boqol lake, sea *baz *baz- Afar–Saho and Somali bad, Daasanach baz look, to *ilaal *ʔil-aal-, derivativefrom *ʔil- 'eye' Saho and Oromo ilaal lost, to get *bod *bad- Afar–Saho, Somali and Oromo bad- louse *insir lover *saani nine *sagaal Afar and Somali sagaal, Oromo sagal pot, clay *ɖeri rain *roob *roob- Oromo rooba, Somali roob red *buri- scratch, to *quut see, to *kas seven *tizzaba Arbore tuzba six *lVħ *liħ Daasanach li, Oromo jaha, Somali lix smoke *iʀi spear *tor suck, to *nug *nuug- Oromo luug, Rendille nug, Somali nuug ten *tamman *tomman Arbore tomon, Saho tamman, Somali toban thirty *sozzom *sezħ- 'three' Arbore sezze, Oromo sadii, Somali saddex
See also Languages of Kenya Languages of Tanzania Languages of Uganda Serengeti-Dorobo language, of which at least the numeral system is Southern or Eastern Nilotic List of Proto-Southern Nilotic reconstructions (Wiktionary)
References