| Macro-Somali | |
|---|---|
| Somaloid, Eastern Omo–Tana, Sam | |
| Geographic distribution | Somalia,Djibouti,Ethiopia,Kenya |
| Linguistic classification | Afro-Asiatic
|
| Subdivisions | |
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | east2653 |
 | |
TheMacro-Somali orSomaloid languages, or (in the conception ofBernd Heine, who does not includeBaiso[2])Sam languages, are a branch of theLowland East Cushitic languages. They are spoken inSomalia,Djibouti, easternEthiopia, and northernKenya. The most widely spoken member isSomali.[3]
The primary division is between Rendille versus the remaining languages, for which Heine proposes the terms "Eastern Sam" or "Dad".[4] In this proposal,Baiso forms a Northern branch ofOmo–Tana.
Within Blench's proposal, the primary division of Macro-Somali is first between Baiso, Sam, andSomali. Then within Sam, the primary split is between Rendille and Aweer.Girirra is left unclassified withinLowland East Cushitic.[5]
The followingsound correspondences hold between Rendille, Aweer and Somali:
| Proto-Sam | Rendille | Aweer | Somali | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| *b | b | b | b | |
| *d | d | d | d | |
| *g | g | k, -g- | g | |
| dʒ | ʃ | dʒ⟨j⟩ | Before the vowel *i (palatalization). | |
| *t | t | t, -d- | t, -d- | |
| *c | tʃ | ʃ, -y- | ʃ⟨sh⟩, -j-⟨y⟩ | |
| *k | k | k, -g- | k, -g- | |
| ʃ | Before the vowel *i. | |||
| *ɗ | ɖ | ɗ, -r- | ɖ⟨dh⟩ | ContinuesProto-East Cushiticimplosive *ɗ. |
| *q | x | ʔ | q | Continues Proto-East Cushiticejective *kʼ. |
| *f | f | f | f | |
| *s | s | s | s | |
| *ħ | ħ | ħ, -h- | ħ⟨x⟩ | |
| *h | h, -ħ- | h | h | |
| *z | j | d | d | |
| *ʕ | ħ | ʔ | ʕ⟨c⟩ | |
| *ʔ | ħ | ʔ | lost | |
| *m | m | m, -n | m, -n | |
| *n | n | n | n | |
| *l | l | l | l | |
| *r | r | r | r | |
| *w | w | w | w, -b- | |
| *j | j | j | j⟨y⟩ |
The Eastern Sam or Dad group is characterized by the following four changes:[6]
In Boni, severalconsonant clusters simplify:[7]
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