Macro-Somali languages


The Macro-Somali or Somaloid languages, or Sam languages, are a branch of the Lowland East Cushitic languages. They are spoken in Somalia, Djibouti, eastern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya. The most widely spoken member is Somali.

Languages

Heine, 1978

The primary division is between Rendille versus the remaining languages, for which Heine proposes the terms "Eastern Sam" or "Dad". In this proposal, Baiso forms a Northern branch of Omo–Tana.
  • Somaloid
  • * Rendille
  • * Eastern Sam
  • ** Boni
  • ** Girirra
  • ** Somali

    Blench, 2006

Within Blench's proposal, the primary division of Macro-Somali is first between Baiso, Sam, and Somali. Then within Sam, the primary split is between Rendille and Aweer. Girirra is left unclassified within Lowland East Cushitic.
The following sound correspondences hold between Rendille, Aweer and Somali:
Proto-SamRendilleAweerSomalinotes
*bbbb-
*dddd-
*ggk, -g-g-
*gdʒʃdʒ Before the vowel *i.
*ttt, -d-t, -d--
*ctʃʃ, -y-ʃ, -j- -
*kkk, -g-k, -g--
*kkʃk, -g-Before the vowel *i.
*ɗɖɗ, -r-ɖ Continues Proto-East Cushitic implosive *ɗ.
*qxʔqContinues Proto-East Cushitic ejective *kʼ.
*ffff-
*ssss-
*ħħħ, -h-ħ -
*hh, -ħ-hh-
*zjdd-
*ʕħʔʕ -
*ʔħʔlost-
*mmm, -nm, -n-
*nnnn-
*llll-
*rrrr-
*wwww, -b--
*jjjj -

The Eastern Sam or Dad group is characterized by the following four changes:
  • The voiceless stops *t, *c, *k became voiced *d, *j, *g when following a vowel.
  • Elsewhere, *c becomes a fricative *ʃ.
  • *z > *d.
  • *m > *n at the end of a word.
In Boni, several consonant clusters simplify:
  • *mb, *nɗ, *ng > m, n, ŋ
  • *ns > s
  • *ng before *i > *ndʒ > *nʃ > ʃ