Cangin languages


The Cangin languages are spoken by 200,000 people in a small area east of Dakar, Senegal. They are the languages spoken by the Serer people who do not speak the Serer language. Because the people are ethnically Serer, the Cangin languages are commonly thought to be dialects of the Serer language. However, they are not closely related; Serer is closer to Fulani than it is to Cangin.

Languages

The Cangin languages are:
Lehar and Noon are particularly close, as are Ndut and Palor, though not quite to the point of easy intelligibility. Safen is transparently closer to Lehar–Noon than to Palor–Ndut.

Reconstruction

Merrill reconstructs Proto-Cangin as follows.
glossProto-CanginNoonLeharSafenNdutPalor
eye*ɣi̟d/ɣadhaskuu-koashasi̟l’i̟l
tongue*pe-ɗempeɗim p-pi̟ri̟mpeɗempereempereem
eat*ñamñamñamñaamñamñam
breast*ɓi̟iɓɓi̟iɓɓi̟iɓɓipɓi̟iɓɓi̟iɓ
four*nixiidnikiisnikisiniiliniil
dog*ɓuhɓu̟uɓuh f-ɓuh f-ɓux f-
intestine*looxlooklookrooklooloo
wing*paɓpaɓpaɓpabpap
cow*-noɣenoh f-enoh’inohfana f-fana’ f-
blow = nose*ñii̟ndñii̟d-ukñii̟d-ukñii̟d~ñii̟n
pound*hoɗoɗoɗ’oɗxoɗ
jaw*kaɓaɓ ?kaaɓ ‘cheek’kaɓaɓ k-kabaap
new*hasasas’ashasxas
see*ɣothothothotot~ol-od~ol-
swallow*hononon’onhonxon
bury*hacacac’achacxac
bear child*li̟mli̟mli̟mrimli̟m
dance*ɣamhamham
hold in teeth*ŋaɓŋaaɓŋaɓŋaɓŋaɓ
year*kV-id̟kii̟s k-kii̟skiis k-kii̟lkii̟l
tree*ki-rikkedik k-kedekkiɗig k-kilikkilik k-
bird*selselselsel
bury*hu̟umbu̟ub~u̟umuumb
be able*mi̟nmi̟nminmi̟nmin
resemble*mandmad~manmanmad~manmad~man
be short*luH-looƴ looƴrohoƴluhlux
leaf/bark*huɓto̟oɓ t-, oɓpo̟o’ophuɓ
sun*noɣnohnohnohna’na’
ear*nufnofnofnoefnufnuf
head*ɣafhafhafhaf’af’af
liver*keeñkeeñkeeñkeeñ k-keeñ
star*Hulhololhorhulxul
rain*toɓtoɓtoɓtoɓtooɓ
pestle*kuɗkoɗ k-koɗkuɗ k-kuɗ k-
goat*pepe’ f-peɗpeh f-pe f-pe f-
cloth/rag*lii̟llii̟llii̟llii̟llii̟l
baobab*ɓoɣɓohɓohɓohɓaɓa’
finger*kunjokun j-jokonndukunkunkun
sneeze*ti̟stesti̟stisohti̟sti̟s
ant*ñii̟ññii̟ññii̟ññiñoh f-ñii̟ñ f-ñii̟n f-
rear/raise*koɗkoɗkoɗkoɗkod
honey*kV-u̟mku̟um k-ku̟umku̟um k-ku̟um k-
horse*panis̟pen̟is̟ f-pan̟is̟panispan̟is̟ f-
causative*-iɗ̟-iɗ̟-iɗ̟-iɗ-iɗ̟-iɗ̟
anticausative*-ox-uk-ok-uk-oh-ox
reversive*-i̟s-i̟s-i̟s-is-i̟s-i̟s
negative*-ɗii-ɗii-ɗi

Footnotes