THE VOCABULARY OF DEATH IN CHADIC AND HAMITO-SEMITIC LANGUAGES

Daniel BARRETEAU D itr IBRISZIMOW

Herrmann J tT" NGRAITHMAYR

ABSTRACT In this paper are discussed the reconstructions of the roots for the items "to die" and

"corpse". In al1 the 150 Chadic languages, which are spoken in Nigeria, Cmeroon and Chad, as well as in the whole Hamito-Semitic family, "to die" is reconstructed by one single root: *mw t . On the opposite, there are at least four roots in Chadic for the gloss "capse": A *mwt, B bg-, C *bn and D kum, with some borrowings.

The comparison and the analyses of these two items give a sample of the complexity of the Chadic language history: on the one hand, a fundamental notion, "to die", which carries forms coming directly from the original Hamito-Semitic language craddle, on the other hand, a more "cultural" notion, "corpse", which has been considerably affected through the contacts in the new African home. This may indicate that the funeral rites have undergone more recent changes in the environment of Lake Chad Basin. Keywords : Hamito-Semitic, Chadic, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, comparison, reconstruction, die, corpse

RÉSUMÉ L E VOCABULAIRE DE LA "MORT" DANS LES LANGUES TCHADIQUES ET CHAMITO-SÉMITIQUES.

Dans cet article sont presentees et commendes les reconstructions pour les termes "mourir" et "cadavre". Dans les 150 langues tchadiques, qui sont parlees au Nigeria, au Cameroun et au Tchad, ainsi que dans l'ensemble du phylum chmito-semitique, "mourir" est reconstruit avec une seule racine : *mwt. A l'oppos6, dans les langues tchadiques, on relBve au moins quatre racines pour le terme "cadavre" : *mw t , bg-, * bn et kum, dont certains emprunts.

La comparaison et l'analyse de ces deux items donne une idCe sur la cornplexit6 de l'histoire des langues tchadiques : d'un côte, une notion fondamentale, "mourir", qui se traduit par des formes remontant directement B l'origine des langues chamito-semitiques ; de l'autre côte, une notion plus "culturelle", le "cadavre", qui a et6 considerablement affectee par des contacts dans le nouvel environnement africain. Cela pourrait indiquer que les rites funeraires ont subi des changements rkcents dans l'environnement du bassin du lac Tchad. Mots-clés : chamito-semitique, tchadique, Nigeria, Cameroun, Tchad, comparaison, reconstruction, mourir, cadavre

* * *

This paper is an enlarged version of a poster which was presented at the exhibition during the conference. A first study was conducted by Jungraithmayr (1990) on the problem of reconstructing the roots for "death" and "to die" in the Chadic languages. In the present article, the data

come mdnly from the comparative work on Chadic languages by Jungraithmayr and Pbrisaimow (in press). Some unpublished data come as well Erom persona1 materials on Cameroonian Chadic languages collected by Bareteau.

Here, only the roots for the items "to die" and "coqse" are discussed, both having been reeonstmcted by Jungraithmayr and Ibrisdmow.

P. lYira die" Tnere are only few glosses which are reconstructed with 8 single rsot for

the whole Chadic family, such as: "to die", "to dream", "to drink", "eye", "finger", "fly", "four", "head", "neck", "nose", "to ripen", "sheep", l'ta swallow".

In al1 the 156 Chadic languages, which are spoken in Nigeria, Cmeroon and Chad, "to die" is a representative of this group of glosses to be recons(ructed by one single root. The proposals, up to now, were: *me t E by Newman (Y977), *mwt by Jungraithmayr & Shimizu (198%) and 2 ~ m v ~ t by Jungrdhnayr h brisdmow (in press).

At the same time, this is the most fundamental Harnito-Semitic keyword in Chadic since it occurs in al1 families with the possible exception of Cushitie [which may be assumed as a secondary absence; CJ Murtonen 19&9:256]. So, this root, %mvt "to die", would be attested wiek a history of approximately ten milleria, in Asia minor and in the whole of North Africa dswn to Lake Chad Basin. As f a as the Hamito-Semitic languages in general are concemed, one can eonsult also the study of Vycichl (1983).

The importance of this word must be seen in the aspect of the genetic heritage which h a been considerably s h n k due to the following facts: - the Chadic languages were one of the first to separate from the eommon

Hmito-Semitic ancestor; - in their historieal development, the Chadic speaking peoples had long and

nmow contacts with the peoples 0% the Sudan u e a who speak "Nigritic" (Le. non-Hmito-Semitic) languages;

- the 150 Chadic languages represent the most numerous and diversided linguistic unit within Harnito-Semitic as well as the widest geographical distribution if one does not csunt the more recent expansion of habic , after the VIIth centanry A.D.

E G Y r n Egyptian Coptic

smmc

Ugaritic Phoenician Hebrew Arameic Arabie

maa t rnt me mlw t

mw t mwt, rnyt

23 1

Mehri Soqotri Gelez Tigre

Chleuh Kabyle Tuareg sus Zenaga

BERBER

mw t mii(t) mw t mw t

mta amma t amma t mma t ëmmwi, ë m i

cusmnc Rendille a-mu t! Boni -wud- Somali m5d

Due to the above mentioned facts, the present-day Chadic reflexes display sometimes an extreme "deformation" as a result of linguistic erosion, e.g.

*mwt > *mutu> *ntu> *tu > ru.

The first radical (Rl) is for the most part preserved in its original quality:

*m > m in al1 branches, Western, Central and Eastern.

It has changed to n- in some Central Chadic languages and in Mokilko (Mokilko group) due to the loss of an interna1 vowel and therefore directly preceding a dental (partial regressive assimilation): *mwt > *m t > nt . See for example:

Ngwaxi Cibak Gude Mokilko

nti nti ht6 21nd-

The nasal was weakened to w in some languages of the Central Branch:

Higi-Baza wta

or even disappeared totally:

Kilba Hizli Wandiu Tsuvan Gudu

dtii t àw t a-w zà r 9u

232

8 to the triradicality of the reeonstmction for the Chadic lmguages - in spite of the sbvious biradicality of most of the reflexes -, the argument derivea from the fact that 8 number of the langages display reflexes with a long voevel, a possible signn of a lost (we&) comonant, e.g.:

Gerka Siri Kabalay

or in some spwiific verbal forms, e.g.

Mubi

%n some laquages of the Central Branch the first and the second radicals *mw have fallen together, being hardened to mb, wxeh is a curent phoneme in these groups:

233

Mwulyen Njanyi Gbwata Bacama

-mb6 t ii mbfi t à mb% t ii ùibfir6

The Ulird radical (R3) has undergone regular changes either to c, t s , s , y, 1, r, d and even to zero.

Generally, a trend towards palatalization - * t > t y > c - can be observed (mainly) in Central Chadic, e.g.

Ziziliva kan màcd Ga voko mdcà(w6) Southern-Mofu 'màc' Besleri m%c

This development led to such forms like Fali-Mucella m I kyf and even Kiriawqk'i.

A more fronted development, i.e. to an alveolar fricative (with further palatalization) or to an affricate, is found in languages of the Northern and Southern Bauchi group, as well as in Central Chadic, e.g.

Tsagu Gurd'ung Geji B uli Tule Zaar Wandala Palasla Buwal

Examples of * t > y : Warji Kariya Miya Pa'a

miiG s èn masse / mIs . mI sh masshi / m%shü / mIsh màshl mîshî / mIs mts-a / 3mts5mts8 mats5 màts

miy- mkyà mi y- mlyà / miya / miyà

In the following examples it can not be definitely established whether y is a reflex of the second (*w) or the third (* t ) radical, or even represents a fusion of both:

Siri Mburku Kwang Ndam

miwa / miya / mîyü miy- miiyé mkyâ

234

Examples of * t > 1 : Bole Jixnbi

Examples Qf :kt > P : Baeama Dera HWOna Ga'anda Gabin Boka GUdU Musgu Munjuk Maj O ra Sina Sibine Tobanga

Tangak KWami Gera

Mmlam Malgbe .Mpado MOkilkO

Examples of * t > d

e

Examples of * t > d : THZl Mbxa

mBB 6 Illu%-

A total loss of the third radical (R3) is attested in some eastern languages: Mera m6 1 m5a- Kabalay mUW5 E d e mz Tumak mi5

Cases in whieh only 8 3 haslbeen preserved exist but are rare (in the Central Braneh):

Gudu Tsuvan

HU zii

'Ihe form wqki in Kiria is an interesting exarnple of how assimilation and metathesis have been at work as it often occurs in Bura-Margi and in Kgi groups: *mw t > *mwk i > * m k i > wr~k i .

235

CHADIC Western Branch Hausa group

Hausa Gwandara

Sura-Gerka group Sura Angas Cip Ankwe Ta1 Gerka

Ron group Fyer Daffo Bokkos Kulere Sha

Bole-Tangale group Karekare Bole Ngamo Maha Tangale Kwami Kupto Pero Dera Kirifi Gera Gerumawa

Northern Bauchi group Warji Tsagu Kariya Miya Pa’a Siri Mburku Ji mbi Diri Dira Burma

Boghom Kir Tala

Southern Bauchi group

mEitau mEiti3

mùu t, pl. mur ap mù t mut mût mik t mwath

mot mot mot mot / mw5th mô t

meet- /metaw mà16 / mot- mat0 muto mydq mùd- miit- miitù mur- mutto/ mbk-ki3,VNmÙtB mudu- mutalla

ml- / mkyZug / miy- miiïjsèn mkyà -

miy- m’iyà / miya / miyà miwa / mkyil / miyü miy- mul- m5t6 / matu mùs i mIsè

mas muse, mas! mas-

237

Gudu Fali-Mucella Fali-Bwagira Gava Nakatsa

Laamang group Laamang

Wandala group Wandala Ga lvaxdaxa Guduf Dghwede Ga voko Xa di Mabas

Sakun group Sakun

Mafa group Mafa Mefele Cuvok Southern Mofu Northern Mofu Southern Giziga Northern Giziga Mbazla Merey Dugwor Zalgwa Ma lokwo Mada Mu yang Wuzlam Mata1 Mbuko Palasla

Daba group Daba Besleri (= Hina) Mba dam Gava Buwal

Kacfa-Munjuk group Kacfa (= Gidar) Musgu Mbara Munj uk

13 mIkyl mt i fit sigànà ms

mt-

mts-a / 3mtsiimtsii mt s- mt s’( a ) g à n à ficà / mtssyà mdcà(wé) màt‘ mà t (ùkir)

-sggwus

màtsa mztsH(y) mdtsa ‘mà c . mà c m3c m6c muc mii t m6 ta mü t’ mG t mH t m6 t ‘mii t . ‘m6ts‘ màts mets5

mà c m6 c mats mfci màts

mt’i mgr a micfPq mlrf

238

. 'qchrpseq' There are at least four roots in Chadlie for the gloss "corpse": A *mwt, B

bg-, C *bm and D knm. They are reconstructed roots, with an asterix, or possibly reconstructed roots, without any asterix. There are also some forms which still expect explanation: these are marked in the list below with a dash.

239

"Corpse" can be circumscribed and rendered by "dead (person)". Thus the various reflexes which are put together under root A, *mwt, are undoubtedly based on the root for "to die", *mwt; cf. e.g.

Boghom Masa Lele

"to die" "corpse" mas mas dw mf t mi tnà mZ tümidü

Al1 the reflexes for which root B, bg- , has been reconstructed are only tentatively assumed to go back to one single root, therefore it is presented without an asterisk. We are possibly dealing here with forms related to that of the root *bg reconstructed for "body". Still unexplained remains the co- existence in Southern Molù (Mafa group) of vàw "body'' and vàgày "corpse". As to Hausa (Hausa group) gd6wdd and Ngizim (Bade-Ngizim group) gùvil, both tentatively considered for this root, a metathesis is assumed. The fact that neighbouring Benue-Congo languages have -v5gb (Menemo) and u-:kWê (Kambari) for "corpse" makes the Chadic reflexes of the B root appear to be Niger-Congo loans. On the other hand, the borrowing may have, in individual cases, also gone later in the reverse direction, cf. i-gàawà (Ura) which is probably of Hausa origin.

Roots C, *bn, and D, kum (including the similar forms maked'with D in the list below), also have obvious cognates in Benue-Congo; e=$ Kwanka pun , Birom v i n o , Legbo *~-bono, etc. and Chori, Kenyi kom, Yashi kum, etc. Still the reflexes of root C * bn show regular Sound correspondences.

The ungraded Yedina (Kotoko group) reflex b in seems not to be related with the C root, but would come from Kanuri kawîn .

The unmarked reflex in Diri (Northern Bauchi group) aru may be related to the root * wr for "fetish". Western Braneh Roots Hausa group

Hausa B? Gwandara B

Sura D Kofyar D Goemai D

Daffo C Bokkos C

Karekare B? Tangale - Kupto - Dera A Galembi C

Sura-Gerka group

Ron group

Bole-Tangale group

g6dwdB 9%

k6m kum k'um

fun f u n

gùbù

tii689 m., tilt t6sh6 f. miiI pl. mil j 6q bànà

dQP?k

246

Kotoko

Kwang Kera

Mabalay Lele

%de group

B c B B B B

B

B

A

a A

a

A -

madi

W6 e

Sibine group Sibine Ndam

Sokoro group Sokoro

Dangla-Migama group Dangla Migama

Mokilko group Mokilko

Mubi-Toram group Jegu Birgit Mubi

A mhdë A mHl t'

B goi

mây t ?ni? (Dajo-Arabic) -/A gIm6 kà mlàtêntà

- pii6 t è

A gL mààti A moo t

r immè (Arabic)

CONCLUSION The comparison and the analyses of the two items "to die" and "corpse"

are a sample of the Chadic language history: on the one hand, a notion which carries forms coming directly from the original Hamito-Semitic language craddle, on the other hand, a notion which has been considerably affected through the contacts in the new African home.

In addition there is a great diversity of forms for other notions connected with "death", such as "grave" or "funerals". They are rendered through various innovations like semantic analogy ("hole" for "grave"), derivation, compound words and loan words. This may indicate that the funeral rites have undergone more recent changes in the environment of Lake Chad B asin.

ORSTOM, UTAH, Bondy, France University of Frankfkrt-Am-Main, Allemagne

BIBLIOGRAPHY An extended bibliography is not given in this paper: for additional

information one may consult the sources mentioned below. Maps of Hamito-Semitic and Chadic languages may be found in Jungraithmayr (1981), Dieu & Renaud (1983). BARRETEAU D. & D. JUNGRAITHMAYR, 1989. "Chadic lexical roots: Nombre de

racines reconstruites pour chaque item", Langues et cultures dans le bassin du lac Tchad (Barreteau Cd.), P<uis, ORSTOM (Coll. Colloques et Seminaires) :

DIEU M. & P. RENAUD (dir.), 1983. Situation linguistique en Afrique Centrale, Inventaire préliminaire : Le Cameroun, Paris-YaoundC, ACCT-CERDOTOLA- DGRST (Atlas linguistique de l'Afrique Centrale : Atlas linguistique du Cameroun), 475 p., maps.

145-148.