Chadic languages
The Chadic languages form a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are spoken in parts of the Sahel. They include 150 languages spoken across northern Nigeria, southern Niger, southern Chad, Central African Republic and northern Cameroon. The most widely spoken Chadic language is Hausa, a lingua franca of much of inland Eastern West Africa.
Composition
Newman classified the languages into the four groups which have been accepted in all subsequent literature. Further subbranching, however, has not been as robust; Blench, for example, only accepts the A/B bifurcation of East Chadic. Kujargé has been added from Blench, who suggests Kujargé may have split off before the breakup of Proto-Chadic and then subsequently became influenced by East Chadic. Subsequent work by Lovestrand argues strongly that Kujarge is a valid member of East Chadic. The placing of Luri as a primary split of West Chadic is erroneous. Caron shows that this language is South Bauchi and part of the Polci cluster.- West Chadic. Two branches, which include
- Biu–Mandara. Three branches, which include
- East Chadic. Two branches, which include
- Masa
- ? Kujargé
Origin
Several modern genetic studies of Chadic speaking groups in the northern Cameroon region have observed high frequencies of the Y-Chromosome Haplogroup R1b in these populations. This paternal marker is common in parts of West Eurasia, but otherwise rare in Africa. Cruciani et al. thus propose that the Proto-Chadic speakers during the mid-Holocene migrated from the Levant to the Central Sahara, and from there settled in the Lake Chad Basin. However, a 2018 study by Daniel Shriner agrues that the haplogroup R1 is associated with and found no evidence of ancient Eurasian gene flow.Loanwords
Chadic languages contain many Nilo-Saharan loanwords from either the Songhay or Maban branches, pointing to early contact between Chadic and Nilo-Saharan speakers as Chadic was migrating west.Although Adamawa languages are spoken adjacently to Chadic languages, interaction between Chadic and Adamawa is limited.
Comparative vocabulary
Sample basic vocabulary in different Chadic branches listed in order from west to east, with Proto-Cushitic also given for comparison:| Language | eye | ear | nose | tooth | tongue | mouth | blood | bone | tree | water | eat | name |
| Proto-Chadic | *ydn | *km/*ɬm | *ntn | *s₃n; *ƙ-d | *ls₃- | *bk | *br | *ƙs₃ | *ymn | *hrɗ ; *twy | *s₃m | |
| Hausa | ido | kunne | hanci | haƙori | harshe | baki | jini | ƙashi | itaci; bishiya | ruwa | ci | suna |
| Proto-Ron | *kumu | **atin | *haŋgor | *liʃ | *fo | ɟɑ̄lɑ̄, tɾɔ̃̄ | *kaʃ | *sum | ||||
| Polci | yiir | kəəm | cin | shen | haƙori | bii | buran; bəran | gooloo | pət | maa | ci | suŋ |
| Proto-Central Chadic | *hadaj; *tsɨʸ | *ɬɨmɨɗʸ | *hʷɨtsɨnʸ | *ɬɨɗɨnʸ | *ɗɨrɨnɨhʸ; *ɣanaɗʸ; *naɬɨj | *maj | *ɗiɬ; *kɨrakaɬʸ | *hʷɨp | *ɗɨjɨm | *zɨm | *ɬɨmɨɗʸ | |
| Proto-Masa | *ir | *hum | *cin | *s- | *si | *vun | *vuzur | *sok | *gu | *mb- | *ti | *sem |
| Kujarge | kunɟu | kumayo ~ kime | kaata | kiya | aliŋati | apa | ɪbɪrí | , kàyɛ́ya | kaʃíè | ʃia | , tuye ; tuwona | rúwà |
| Proto-Cushitic | *ʔil- | *?isŋʷ- | *ʔiɬkʷ- | *caanrab- | *ʔaf-/*yaf- | *mikʷ’-; *moc’- | *-aħm-/*-uħm-; *ɬaam- | *sim-/*sum- |