Moru–Madi languages


The Moru–Madi languages of the Central Sudanic language family are a cluster of closely related languages spoken in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda. Moru is spoken by 100,000 people, and Ma'di is spoken by twice that number. The most populous languages are Aringa of Uganda, with close to a million speakers, and Lugbara, with 1.6 million.

Languages

The languages in this cluster are found across three countries: Uganda ; South Sudan ; and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The name Ma'di is used for various peoples in the region. There is a tendency, especially in the Acholi region of northern Uganda, to refer to anyone from West Nile Region as a Ma'di, even the Kakwa. The only group in this region who are never called Ma'di are the Alur.
Joseph Pasquale Crazzolara, for example, states that "all Logbara agree that they are of the Ma'di nation, that they are Ma'di. They are called Ma'di by the Alur of Okooro, their immediate neighbours, in Bunyoro and Buganda." Similarly, the linguist A. N. Tucker described the neighboring Keliko people who occupy the high plateau near the Logbara, as having the "real name Ma'di". However, the Keliko regard themselves as Keliko rather than as Ma'di.

Comparative vocabulary

Sample basic vocabulary of Moru-Ma'di languages from Boone & Watson :
LanguageDialecteyeearnosetoothtonguemouthbloodbonetreewatereatname
MoruKâdiromibikʊmvʊsilaɖakalakarikʊwaɔɲaʌvuru
MoruLakamadimibikʊmvʊsilaɖakalakarikʊwaicɛ, cɛɔɲaʌvuru
MoruMizamibikʊmvʊsilaɖakalakarikʊwaicɛ, cɛɔɲaʌvuru
MoruÂgyimibikʊmvʊsilaɖakalakarikʷaicɛìjíaɲaru
MoruÂndrimibiimvʊsilaɖakalaariifɛìjíɔɲaru
Moru'Bâri'bâmibiimvʊsilaɖakalaarikʷaifɛìjíɔɲaru
MoruWa'dimibikʊmvʊsilaɖatikarikʷaìjíaɲaru
AvokayaSudanlìfíɔ̀mvɔ̄lànɖāàrɪ́fɛ̄lùmvūɲà
AvokayaZaïremǐfíɔ̀mvɔ̄làɖāàrɪ́fɛ̄ɲà
LogoOgambi, Doka, Lolia,
Obeleba, Bhagira
kɔ̀mvɔ̄làɖākàrɪɲā
Logo BariKanzakomìkífíɓíkɔ̀mvɔ̄làɖākàrɪ̄fɛ̄ɲā
Logo BariWestkɔ̀mvɔ̄làɖākàrɪ̄fɛ̄ɲā
Logo BariMandraɲɛ̌fɪ́ɓíɔ̀mvɔ̄làɖāàrɪ́fɛ̄ɛ̀yíɔ̀ɲā
KalikoMa'di-Didimì, mīfíɔ̀mvɔ̄àɖākàrɪ́, àrɪ̀fā, fʌ̄tīɲā
KalikoSouthwestmī, mīfíɔmvɔ̄àɖāàrɪ́fɛ́ɲā
KalikoRapa'baɔmvɔ̄ālāɖātɔ́gʊ́àrɪ́fɛ́ɲā
KalikoMa'di-Dogomīfíɔ̀mvɔ̄àɖā---pʌ̀tìɲā
KalikoSoutheastʊ̀mvʊ̄áɖātī, tíàrɪ́petiyǐ, ìjíɲā
KalikoOmimǐfàɔ̀mbɔ̄àɖāàrɪ́fàlágɔ́fʌ̄tīɲā
Okollomuleōmbʊ́áɖātílɛ́àrɪ́cɔ̀ɔ́pʌ̄tíɲá
Ogokomìfīɔ̀mvʊ̄ɪ́ɖɛ̄àrɪ́cɔ̀kɔ́pàtíɲà
LugbaraZaire mìlɛ̄ɔ̀mvūaɖaàrɪ́fàlákɔ́pʌ̄tíɲa
LugbaraUganda mīlɛ́ɔ̀mvʊ̄āɖɛ̄àrɪ́fàlákɔ́pʌ̄tíɲa
Marachamìfīɔ̀mvʊ̄ɛ̄ɖɛ̀àrɪ́fàlákɔ́pʌ̀tíɲá
Teregomìfīɔ̀mvʊ̄ɛ̄ɖɛ̄àrɪ́fàlákɔ́pàtíkèɲá
Aringamīfíbíléɔ̀mvʊ̄ɪ̀ɖāàrɪ́ìfàɪ̀fɛ́ìjíɲá
Ma'diUgandaɔ̀mvɔ̄lɛ̀ɖátiàrɪ́hʷakʷɛèyíɲā
Ma'diLokaiɔ̀mvɔ̄lɛ̄dáàrɪ, arikʷàkʷɛ̄ēyíɲā
Ma'diPandikeriɔ̀mvɔ̄lɛ̄dáɛ̀rɪkʷàkʷɛ̄īyíɲā
Luluboɔmbɔ̄lɛ̄dāɛ̀rɪ̄kʷākʷɛ̄īyíɲā