Nubian languages
Encyclopedia
The Nubian language group, according to the most recent research by Bechhaus-Gerst comprises the following varieties:
Old Nubian
is preserved in at least a hundred pages of documents, mostly of a Christian
religious nature, written with an uncial
variety of the Greek alphabet
, extended with three Coptic
letters and three unique to Old Nubian, apparently derived from Meroitic
. These documents range in date from the 8th to the 15th century A.D.
Old Nubian is currently considered ancestral to modern Nobiin.
Synchronic research on the Nubian languages began in the last decades of the nineteenth century, first focusing on the Nile Nubian languages Nobiin and Dongolawi/Kenzi. Several well-known Africanists have occupied themselves with Nubian, most notably Lepsius
(1880), Reinisch (1879), and Meinhof
(1918); other early Nubian scholars include Almkvist and Schäfer. Additionally, important comparative work on the Nubian languages has been carried out by Thelwall and Bechhaus-Gerst in the second half of the twentieth century.
, the Latin alphabet
and the Old Nubian alphabet. Since the 1950s, Latin has been used by 4 authors, Arabic by 2, and Old Nubian by 1, in the publication of various books of proverbs, dictionaries, and textbooks. For Arabic, the extended ISESCO system may be used to indicate vowels and consonants not found in Arabic itself.
- NobiinNobiin languageNobiin is a Northern Nubian language of the Nilo-Saharan phylum. ‘Nobiin’ is the genitive form of Nòòbíí ‘Nubian" and literally means ‘ of the Nubians"...
(previously known by the geographic terms Mahas or Fadicca/Fiadicca). - Kenzi-Dongolawi, the largest Nubian language, with over a million speakers.
- MidobMidob languageMidob is the language of the Midob people in North Darfur. It is genetically part of the Nubian language family which is part of the Nilo-Saharan language phylum. Apart from their homeland, Midob speakers also live in the Khartoum area and Jezirat Aba...
(Meidob) in and around the Malha volcanic crater in North DarfurDarfurDarfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
. - BirgidBirgid languageBirgid is an extinct Nubian language that was spoken in western Sudan. Thelwall mentions his last contact to old speakers of Birgid in 1972.-References:...
– originally spoken north of Nyala around Menawashei until the 1970s. The last surviving aged speakers were interviewed by Thelwall at this time. Some equally aged speakers on Gezira Aba just north of Kosti on the Nile south of KhartoumKhartoumKhartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
were interviewed by Thelwall in 1980. - Hill Nubian – a group of closely related dialects spoken in various villages in the northern Nuba MountainsNuba MountainsNuba Mountains is an area located in South Kordofan, Sudan. The area is home to a group of indigenous ethnic groups known collectively as the Nuba peoples. In the 18th century, Nuba Mountains became home to the kingdom of Taqali that controlled the hills of the mountains until their defeat by...
– in particular DillingDilling peopleThe Dilling are a Sudanese ethnic group and one of the Nuba peoples. Their language is of the Nubian branch of the Nilo-Saharan family. The Dilling number several thousand and live mainly in South Kurdufan in the Nuba mountains. The Dilling language is partially arabized....
, DebriDebriDebri is an ethnic minority of South Kurdufan in Sudan, who speak the Dilling Language, which is a language belonging to the Nubian branch of the Nilo-Saharan languages. Debri is an ethnic group of several thousands.- External links :*...
, and KadaruKadaruKadaru is an ethnic group in Northern Sudan. Most of its members are Muslims. The number of persons in this group is above 10,000. They speak Kadaru language, a language of the Nubian branch of the Nilo-Saharan family. They live in the Kadaru Hills between Dilling and Delami in South Kurdufan....
.
Old Nubian
Old Nubian language
Old Nubian is an ancient variety of Nubian, attested in writing from the 8th to the 15th century . It is ancestral to modern-day Nobiin and related to other Nubian languages such as Dongolawi. It was used throughout the medieval Christian kingdom of Makuria and its satellite Nobadia...
is preserved in at least a hundred pages of documents, mostly of a Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
religious nature, written with an uncial
Uncial
Uncial is a majuscule script commonly used from the 3rd to 8th centuries AD by Latin and Greek scribes. Uncial letters are written in either Greek, Latin, or Gothic.-Development:...
variety of the Greek alphabet
Greek alphabet
The Greek alphabet is the script that has been used to write the Greek language since at least 730 BC . The alphabet in its classical and modern form consists of 24 letters ordered in sequence from alpha to omega...
, extended with three Coptic
Coptic alphabet
The Coptic alphabet is the script used for writing the Coptic language. The repertoire of glyphs is based on the Greek alphabet augmented by letters borrowed from the Demotic and is the first alphabetic script used for the Egyptian language...
letters and three unique to Old Nubian, apparently derived from Meroitic
Meroitic script
The Meroitic script is an alphabetic script originally derived from Egyptian hieroglyphs, used to write the Meroitic language of the Kingdom of Meroë/Kush. It was developed in the Napatan Period , and first appears in the 2nd century BCE. For a time, it was also possibly used to write the Nubian...
. These documents range in date from the 8th to the 15th century A.D.
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
Old Nubian is currently considered ancestral to modern Nobiin.
Synchronic research on the Nubian languages began in the last decades of the nineteenth century, first focusing on the Nile Nubian languages Nobiin and Dongolawi/Kenzi. Several well-known Africanists have occupied themselves with Nubian, most notably Lepsius
Karl Richard Lepsius
Karl Richard Lepsius was a pioneering Prussian Egyptologist and linguist and pioneer of modern archaeology.-Background:...
(1880), Reinisch (1879), and Meinhof
Carl Meinhof
Carl Friedrich Michael Meinhof was a German linguist and one of the first linguists to study African languages.-Early years and career:...
(1918); other early Nubian scholars include Almkvist and Schäfer. Additionally, important comparative work on the Nubian languages has been carried out by Thelwall and Bechhaus-Gerst in the second half of the twentieth century.
Orthography
There are three currently active proposals for the script of Nubian: the Arabic alphabetArabic alphabet
The Arabic alphabet or Arabic abjad is the Arabic script as it is codified for writing the Arabic language. It is written from right to left, in a cursive style, and includes 28 letters. Because letters usually stand for consonants, it is classified as an abjad.-Consonants:The Arabic alphabet has...
, the Latin alphabet
Latin alphabet
The Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most recognized alphabet used in the world today. It evolved from a western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, which was adopted and modified by the Etruscans who ruled early Rome...
and the Old Nubian alphabet. Since the 1950s, Latin has been used by 4 authors, Arabic by 2, and Old Nubian by 1, in the publication of various books of proverbs, dictionaries, and textbooks. For Arabic, the extended ISESCO system may be used to indicate vowels and consonants not found in Arabic itself.
External links
- Ethnologue Language Family Tree for Nubian languages
- PanAfrican L10n page on Nubian (summaries of information, links)
- Nubian alphabet examples