| Saharan | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Chad,Nigeria,Niger,Sudan,Cameroon |
| Linguistic classification | Nilo-Saharan?
|
| Subdivisions |
|
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | saha1256 |
 Range of the Saharan languages (in orange) | |
TheSaharan languages are a small family of languages across parts of the easternSahara, extending from northwesternSudan to southernLibya, north and centralChad, easternNiger and northeasternNigeria. Noted Saharan languages includeKanuri (9.5 million speakers, aroundLake Chad in Chad, Nigeria, Niger, andCameroon),Daza (700,000 speakers, Chad),Teda (60,000 speakers, northern Chad), andZaghawa (350,000 speakers, eastern Chad andSudan). They have been classified as part of the hypothetical but controversialNilo-Saharan family.
A comparative word list of the Saharan languages has been compiled byVáclav Blažek (2007).[1]
Roger Blench argues that the Saharan andSonghay languages form a Songhay-Saharan branch with each other within the wider Nilo-Saharan linguistic phylum.[2]
Cyffer (2020:385) gives the following Proto-Saharan reconstructions:[3]
| Gloss | Proto-Saharan | Kanuri | Teda-Daza | Beria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mouth | *kai | cî | kai | āā |
| tongue | *tiram | tə́lam | tirmẽ́su | tàmsī |
| ear | *simo | sə́mo | šímo | |
| liver | *masin | kəmáttən | maasen | màī |
| knee | *kurum | ngurumngurum | kórú | |
| person | *am | âm (pl.) | amo | ɔ̄ɔ̄ |
| leaf | *kur | kálú | kólú | ɔ́gʊ́r |
| big | *kut | kúra | kɔra | ʊ́gʊ́rī |
| that | *tu | túdu | te̥ye | tɔ̄ |
| to die | *nu | nú | nus | nʊ́í |
| to come | *it | ís | ri | tíí |
| to see | *tu | rú | ru | ír̥ì |
| to drink | *sa | yá, sá | ya | yá |
| to say | *n | n | n | n |
Sample basic vocabulary of Saharan languages from Blažek (2007):[4]
| Language | eye | ear | nose | tooth | tongue | mouth | blood | bone | tree | water | eat | name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kanuri[5] | shîm | sə́mò | kə́nzà | tímì; shélì | tə́làm | cî | bû | shíllà | kə̀ská | njî | bù | cû |
| Tubu | *samo > sómo > sao / sā /sa | súmo/šímo > sĩ/šiĩ /si/ši | kya / ca | tomai / tẽ̱ < *temi, pl. toa / tī́ | tirmḗsu > tirišī́ / tərše > tərhi | kai > kī > ci | gẹrε | súru / súrki | akkέ, pl. akká / εkέ | iyī́ / yi | bo / bu | súro / súru |
| Daza | sama, sa, pl. saã | ši, pl. šiĩ | ca | tei, pl. teẽ / tiĩ | teleši / East terihi | ci, pl. ka | gəre | sọr(o) | ekke, pl. akka | yi / ii | bọr / owe / bọdər | sorọ, pl. sora |
| Teda | samo, saõ, pl. sama | šimi, šiĩ, pl. šima | ca | tome, pl. toma | termeso | koe, pl. ka | gɔrε, gəre | sọr(o), sọrce | ekke, pl. akka | yi | bọr / cọbo / bọdər | cεr / cero / curo |
| Zaghawa | í | kέbέ | síná | màrgi: | tàmsi: | áá | ógú | úrú | bɛ̀gìdi: | bí | sε:gì | tír |
| Beria | íī: | kέbέ | sɪ́na: | màrgi: | tàm(ì)si: | áá | ógu: | úrú | bɛ̀gìdi: | bíi: | sέ- | tɪ́r |
| Bideyat | ’é | kèmé | šéna | margé | tamišé | a | uru | ʔèbè | bi | šé | ||
| Berti / Sagato | ke(i)ng | sano / sāno | tam(ī)si | a / á / ā | àkú | shuru / shírung | mi / mī /mī́ | tir(r) |
Comparison of numerals in individual languages:[6]
| Classification | Language | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern | Zaghawa | nɔ́kkɔ | súyi | wɛɛ | ístîː | hóíyi | dɛ́stɛ́ | dístiː | ɔ́ttɛ́ | dístî | sóɡódí |
| Western, Kanuri | Kanembu | tūló | yìndí | yàkú | dīyə̄u | úù | àràkú | túlùr | ùskú | lár | mìyò̬u |
| Western, Kanuri | Central Kanuri (1) | fál, tiló | indí | yakkə́ | déɣə́ | úwu | arakkə́ | túlur | wuskú | ləɣár | mewú |
| Western, Kanuri | Central Kanuri (2) | tìlo / fal / lasku | ìndi | yàkkə | deɡə | uwù | àràkkə | tulùr | wùskú | lə̀ɡar / làar | mèwu |
| Western, Kanuri | Manga Kanuri | fál, tìló | yìndí | yàkkú | déwú | úwù | àràkkú | túlùr | wùskú | ləɡár | mèwú |
| Western, Kanuri | Tumari Kanuri | tìló | jìndí | jàkú | dʲíjó | úù | àɾàkú | túúlù | ùskú | lááɽú | mèʲó |
| Western, Tebu | Dazaga (Tubu) | tə̀ɾɔ̌n | tʃúú | àɡʊ̀zʊ́ʊ́ | tʊ̀zɔ́ɔ́ | fòú | dìsí | túɾùsù | wʊ́ssʊ̀ | jìsìí | mʊ́rdə̀m |
| Western, Tebu | Tedaga (Tebu) (1) | tɾɔ̀ɔ́ | cúː | òɡòzú | tʊ̀zɔ́ː | fɔ́ː | dɪ̀sɪ́ː | túɾùsù | jʊ́sʊ̀ | jìsíː | mʊ́rdɔ̀m |
| Western, Tebu | Tedaga (Tebu) (2) | tʊrɔ | cu | oɡuzuu | tʊzɔɔ | hɔɔ | diʃee | tuduʃu | yʊsʊ | yisii | mʊrdɔm |