Dogon languages


The Dogon languages are a small closely related language family that is spoken by the Dogon people of Mali and may belong to the proposed Niger–Congo family. There are about 600,000 speakers of its dozen languages. They are tonal languages, and most, like Dogul, have two tones, but some, like Donno So, have three. Their basic word order is subject–object–verb.

External relationships

The evidence linking Dogon to the Niger–Congo family is mainly a few numerals and some common core vocabulary. Various theories have been proposed, placing them with Gur, Mande, or as an independent branch, the last now being the preferred approach. The Dogon languages show very few remnants of the noun class system characteristic of much of Niger–Congo, leading linguists to conclude that they likely diverged from Niger–Congo very early.
Roger Blench comments,
and:
The Bamana and Fula languages have exerted significant influence on Dogon, due to their close cultural and geographical ties.
Blench speculates that Bangime and Dogon languages may have a substratum from a "missing" branch of Nilo-Saharan that had split off relatively early from Proto-Nilo-Saharan, and tentatively calls that branch "Plateau".

Internal classification

The Dogon consider themselves a single ethnic group, but recognise that their languages are different. In Dogon cosmology, Dogon constitutes six of the twelve languages of the world. Jamsay is thought to be the original Dogon language, but the Dogon "recognise a myriad of tiny distinctions even between parts of villages and sometimes individuals, and strive to preserve these".
The best-studied Dogon language is the escarpment language Toro So of Sanga, due to Marcel Griaule's studies there and because Toro So was selected as one of thirteen national languages of Mali. It is mutually intelligible with other escarpment varieties. However, the plains languages—Tene Ka, Tomo Ka, and Jamsay, which are not intelligible with Toro so—have more speakers.
Bangime language, is considered a divergent branch of Dogon by some and a possible language isolate by others. It is now generally considered to be an isolate.

Calame-Griaule (1956)

Calame-Griaule appears to have been the first to work out the various varieties of Dogon. Calame-Griaule classified the languages as follows, with accommodation given for languages which have since been discovered, or have since been shown to be mutually intelligible. The two standard languages are asterisked.
Douyon and Blench report an additional variety, which is as yet unclassified:
  • Ana Tiŋa.
Blench noted that the plural suffix on nouns suggests that Budu is closest to Mombo, so it has been tentatively included as West Dogon above. He also notes that Walo–Kumbe is lexically similar to Naŋa; Hochstetler suspects it may be Naŋa. The similarities between these languages may be shared with Yanda. These are all extremely poorly known.

''Glottolog'' 4.3

Glottolog 4.3 synthesises classifications from Moran & Prokić and Hochstetler. Moran & Prokić argue for a binary east-west split within Dogon, with Yanda Dom Dogon, Tebul Ure Dogon, and Najamba-Kindige as originally western Dogon languages that have become increasingly more similar to eastern Dogon languages due to intensive contact.
  • Dogon
  • *Western division
  • **West Dogon
  • ***Ampari Dogon
  • ***Bunoge Dogon
  • ***Mombo Dogon
  • ***Penange Dogon
  • ***Tiranige Diga Dogon
  • **North Plateau Dogon
  • ***Dogul Dom Dogon
  • ***Yanda-Bondum-Tebul
  • ****Najamba-Kindige: Bondum Dom, Kindige, Najamba
  • ****Tebul Ure Dogon
  • ****Yanda-Ana
  • *****Ana Tinga Dogon
  • *****Yanda Dom Dogon
  • *Eastern division
  • **Escarpment Dogon
  • ***Donno So Dogon
  • ***Tommo So Dogon
  • ***Toro So Dogon: Ibi So, Ireli, Sangha So, Yorno So, Youga So
  • **Nangan Dogon
  • ***Bankan Tey Dogon
  • ***Ben Tey Dogon
  • ***Nanga Dogon
  • **Plains Dogon
  • ***Jamsay Dogon: Bama, Domno, Gono, Guru, Perge Tegu
  • ***Toro Tegu Dogon
  • ***Western Plains Dogon
  • ****Tengou-Togo Dogon: Gimri Kan, Tengu Kan, Tenu Kan, Togo Kan, Woru Kan
  • ****Tomo Kan Dogon

    Comparative vocabulary

Comparison of basic vocabulary words of the Dogon languages, along with Bangime:
LanguageLocationeyeearnosetoothtonguemouthbloodbonetreewatereatname
Yorno-Sogìrǐːsúgùrùkínɛ̌nnɛ́nɛ́, nɛ̀nɛ̌ːkɛ̀nɛ́, áŋáìllîːkǐːnáːdǐːkáːbôy
Toro TeguTabijìró, gìrósúgúrúcìrⁿò-kájìrⁿólèlákánéŋcìránáː, X nànílí ~ lɛ́ìsǒŋ
Ben TeyBenijìrésúːrⁿùcírⁿììrⁿú, ìrⁿílɛ̀mdɛ̂ːmǒː, m̀bǒːgòŋgòrócìrⁿéynáː, nàː-dûmnîːñɛ́ìnìrⁿîː
Yanda DomYandagìd-íyè, gìdèsúnkìnzàìnnɛ̀mdàcɛ́nɛ́, m̀bòjènjùkìrⁿàtìmè, tìmɛ̀, nìːínjúʔə́ñɛ́ ~ ʔə́ñá-lìín
JamsayDouentzajìrésûncírⁿéìrⁿénɛ̀nɛ́káːnɛ̂yⁿcìrⁿénáːníːñɛ́ːbón
Perge TeguPerguégìrésúŋúrⁿùkírⁿéìrⁿélɛ̀lɛ́káːnɛ̂mkìrⁿénáːníːñɛ́ːsórⁿú
GourouKirigìrésúŋùnkírⁿéìrⁿénɛ̀nɛ́káːnɛ̂yⁿkìrⁿé̀̌níːñɛ́ːbón
NangaAndagìrésúŋúrⁿìkírⁿêǹnɛ́, ìnɛ́, ìrⁿɛ́nɛ́ndɛ̀nɔ̌ːgòndùgókìrⁿádéː, nàː dûːnîːkɔ́ːǹnèrⁿî, ìnèrⁿî
Bankan-TeyWalogìrésûncírⁿèŋìrⁿɛ́, ñìrⁿɛ́lɛ̀mbìrɛ̂mbǔːgòŋgòrókìrⁿěynàː-dûmnîːñɛ́ŋìnnîː, ñìnnîː
NajambaKubewel-Adiagìró ~ gìrésúnùː ~ súnìːkìnjâː ~ kìnjɛ̂ːìnɔ̌ː ~ ìnɛ̌ːnɛ̌ndɔ̀ː ~ nɛ̌ndɛ̀ːìbí-ŋgé ~ ìbígěn-gé ~ gěnkìná-ŋgó ~ kìnánǐː ~ nìː-mbóíŋgé ~ íŋgé, ínjé ~ ínjékwɛ́ínèn ~ ínèn
Tommo-SoTongo-Tongogìrésúgúlúkínúìnúnííndɛ́kɛ̀nnɛ́, áŋáìlìyékìyétímɛ́dííńyɛ́bóy
Togo-KanKoporo-pengìrésúgúrúkírⁿíìrⁿínɛ́nɛ́káⁿnɛ́kìrⁿínáːdíːñíː ~ ñíːbɔ́ⁿ
MomboSonghogírèsúgúlí kìjìkìjìkínjàínnìnèːndédónìgèːŋgégàːwⁿěːtíníŋgɔ̀mîːɲɛ́ːíní
Bangimeɡìrétàŋàsúmbí-rìn nóɔ́ n síìⁿnóɔ́ n ʒɛ̀rínɔ́ɔ̀ʒíìnnòɔ̀rɛ̀dʷàà, dʷàɛ̀ɥíèdì-á níì

Numerals

Comparison of numerals in individual languages:
Language12345678910
Dogulu Dom tɔ̀mɔ̀nééɡètáándùkɛ́ɛ́sɔ̀ǹókúlèsɔ́ɔ́wɛ̀sèèlétùùwɔ́pɛ́ɛ̀l
Dogul Dom Dogon tomonɛiɡetaandukɛɛson'nɔkuloisɔɔiseeletuwɔpɛɛl
Tommo So Dogontíí néétààndúnǎyǹnɔ́kúlóysɔ́yɡáɡìràtúwwɔ́pɛ́l
Donno So Dogontí, túrulɛ̀ytàːnunàynùmoro / nnɔkúlóy / kuleisɔ̀yɡàɡaratùo / tuɡɔpɛ́lu
Jamsay Dogontúrúlɛ̌y / lɛ̀ytǎːn / tàːnnǎyⁿ / nàyⁿ *nǔːyⁿ / nùːyⁿkúróysûyⁿɡáːràláːrúwà / láːrwàpɛ́rú
Toro So Dogon tíì, túrúlɛ́jtàánúnàjínùmɔ́r̃ɔ́kúlòjsɔ́jɡááràtúwɔ́pɛ́rú
Toro So Dogon tíírú, túrúléítáánúnáínúmɔ́rɔ́nkúlóísɔ́íɡáɡárátúwɔ́pɛ́lú
Toro Tegu Dogontúrúlɛ̌ytǎːlínǎyⁿ *nǔːyⁿkúréysóyⁿɡáːràláːràpɛ́ró
Bankan Tey Dogontùmájǒjtàːnínìŋŋějⁿnùmmǔjⁿkúròjsíjⁿɔ̀jⁿɡáːràjtèːsúmpɛ́ːrú
Ben Tey Dogontùmɔ́:yěytàːnúnǐːyⁿnùmǔyⁿkúròysúyⁿɔ̀yⁿɡáːràytèːsǐmpɛ́rú
Mombo Dogonyɛ̀ːtáːŋɡù / tíːtà nɛ́ːŋɡátáːndìkɛ́ːjɔ́núːmùkúléyⁿsɔ́ːlìséːlètóːwàpɛ́ːlù
Najamba-Kindigekúndénôːjtàːndîːkɛ́ːdʒɛ̀jnùmîːkúlèjswɛ̂jsáːɡìːtwâjpíjɛ́lì
Nanga Dogontùmâwǒjtàːndǐːnɔ̌jⁿnìmǐːkúrêsújɛ̂ɡáːrɛ̀tèːsǐːpɛ́ːrú
Togo Kan Dogon tílɔ́ytàán, tàánúnǎyⁿnúnɛ́ɛ́ⁿkúréésɔ́ɔ̀sìláàtúwáàpɛ́rú
Togo Kan Dogon tílɔ́yìtánnnáɲìnúmɛ̀kúlènsɔ́sílàtúwàpɛ́lì
Yanda Dom Dogontùmá:nɔ́ː / nótáːndùcɛ́zɔ̀nûmkúléswɛ́ːsáːɡètwâːpíyél