Tunni language


Tunni is a Somali language spoken by the Tunni who reside in the Lower Shebelle, Middle Juba, Lower Juba and part of Bay regions in southern Somalia. The language is typically classified among the Digil group of Somali languages. Tunni is distinct from Somali, with a different phonology and sentence structure.

Phonology

Just like in in other Somali varieties, Tunni is a tonal accent language, in which tone is determined primarily morphosyntactically.
Differences from somali include
  1. Short /ɛ/ to /i/
  2. /ħ/ to /ʔ/
  3. /d/ to /j/ before long /ɛː/

    Vocabulary

Numerals

The tunni numerals are
1. ków21.  labaatón i ków *
2. lámma22.  labaatón i lámma
3. síddiʔ23.  labaatón i síddiʔ
4. áfar24.  labaatón i áfar
5. ʃán25.  labaatón i ʃán
6. líʔ26.  labaatón i líʔ
7. toddóbo27.  labaatón i toddóbo
8. siyéed28.  labaatón i siyéed
9. saɡáal29.  labaatón i saɡáal
10. tómon30.  sóddon
11. tómon i ków  *40.  áffartón
12. tómon i lámma50.  kóntón
13. tómon i síddiʔ60.  lihdón
14. tómon i áfar70.  toddobátan
15. tómon i ʃán80.  siyyéetan
16. tómon i líʔ90.  saɡáaʃan
17. tómon i toddóbo100. boqol
18. tómon i siyéed200.
19. tómon i saɡáal1000. kún
20. labaatón2000.