Information concerning Afro-Asiatic Languages

Where are Afro-Asiatic languages spoken?

These languages are spoken in a vast trans-continental geographical area.

In Africa, they are spoken across the North of the continent, from Ethiopia in the East to Mauritania in the West. They can also be found in all of the Near East, and even within the European Community, Maltese being a variant of Arabic, which belongs to this group.

Map of Afro-Asiatic languages on the website of the Université Laval:

http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/monde/images/Afro-Asiatic2.gif

Website of the Paris Anthropology Society, devoted to the birthplace of Afro-Asiatic languages: http://bmsap.revues.org/document564.html#tocto2

Total number of speakers (estimates)

Approximately 350 000 000 according to SIL.

Classification

According to SIL, there are 375 languages in the Afro-Asian group.

Afro- Asiatic Class Simpl EN

Omotic Languages

South Omotic Languages

Hammer-Banna, Aari, Dime, Karo

Mao Languages

Bambassi, Ganza, Hozo, Seze.

North Omotic Languages

Dizoid Languages

Dizi, Nayi, Sheko

Ta-Ne Languages

Anfillo, Borna, Kafa (ou Kefa), Shekkacho, Yemsa, Bench, Chara, Maale, Basketo, Wolaytta (ou Ometo, Oyda (ou Oyta, Dorze, Melo (ou Malo), Gamo-Gofa-Dawro, Kachama-Ganjule, Koorete, Zaysete.

Chadic Languages

West-Chadic Languages

West-Chadic A

Gwandara, Hausa, Beele, Bole, Deno, Galambu, Gera, Geruma, Giiwo, Kholok, Kubi, Maaka, Ngamo, Nyam, Karekare, Bure, Dera, Kushi, Kutto, Kwaami, Pero, Piya-Kwonci, Tangale, Cakfem-Mushere, Jorto, Kofyar, Miship, Mwaghavul, Ngas, Goemai, Koenoem, Montol , Pyapun, Tal, Iwom (ou Gerka), Fyer, Tambas, Duhwa, Kulere, Mundat, Ron, Sha, Daza.

West Chadic B

Bade, Ngizim, Teshenawa, Duwai, Auyokawa, Ajawa, Ciwogai, Diri, Kariya, Mburku, Miya, Pa’a, Siri , Warji , Zumbun, Boghom , Kir-Balar, Mangas, Guruntum-Mbaaru, Ju , Tala, Zangwal, Geji, Polci, Saya, Zari, Zeem, Jimi, Dass,

Chadic isolate :

Luri

Central Chadic Languages ou Biu-Mandara

Biu-Mandara A

Jara, Tera, Boga, Ga’anda, Hwana, Bura-Pabir, Cibak, Kofa, Putai, Huba, Marghi Central, Marghi South, Nggwahyi, Bana, Hay, Kamwe, Psikye, Hdi, Lamang, Vemgo-Mabas, Cineni, Dghwede¸ Glavda, Guduf-Gava, Gvoko, Wandala (ou Mandara), Parkwa (ou Podoko), Baldemu, Cuvok, Dugwor, North Giziga, South Giziga, Mada, Mafa, Matal, Mbuko, Mefele, Merey, North Mofu, Mofu-Gudur, Moloko, Muyang, Vame, Wuzlam, Zulgo-Gemzek, Sukur, Buwal, Daba, Gavar, Mazagway, Mbedam, Mina, Bacama, Bata, Fali, Gude, Gudu, Holma, Jimi, Ngwaba, Nzanyi, Sharwa, Tsuvan, Zizilivakan

Biu-Mandara B

Afade, Malgbe, Maslam, Mpade, Lagwan, Mser, Jina, Majera, Buduma, Jilbe, Mbara, Musgu, Muskum, Gidar.

East Chadic Languages

East Chadic A

Mire, Ndam, Somrai, Tumak, Boor, Gadang, Miltu, Sarua, Buso, Kimré, Lele, Nancere, Gabri, Kabalai, Tobanga, Kera, Kwang.

East Chadic B

Bidiyo, Dangaléat, Jonkor Bourmataguil, Mabire, Mawa, Migaama, Mogum, Ubi, Birgit, Kajakse, Masmaje, Mubi, Toram, Zirenkel, Kujargé, Mukulu, Barein, Saba, Sokoro, Tamki,

Masa Languages

Herdé, Marba, , Masana, Mesme, Musey, Ngete, Pévé, Zumaya

Cushitic languages

Cushitic isoalate:

Beja

Central Cushitic ou Agaw

Xamtanga, Bilen, Awngi, Qimant

Highland East Cushitic

Alaba-K’abeena, Burji, Gedeo, Hadiyya, Kambaata, Libido, Sidamo

Dullay

Bussa, Gawwada, Tsamai

Yaaku

Yaaku

Lowland East Cushitic

Afar, Saho, Oromo, Aweer, Rendille, Dabarre, Garre, Jiiddu, Maay, Somali, Tunni, Baiso, Arbore, Baiso, Daasanach, El Molo, Dirasha, Konso, Boon, Yaaku, Bedawiyet

South Cushitic

Aasáx, Alagwa, Burunge, Dahalo, Gorowa, Iraqw, Kw’adza

Tamazight (Berber languages)

Berber isolates:

Guanche* (extinct), Zenaga

Eastern Berber Languages

Siwa, Awjila, Sawknah

Northern Berber Languages

Zenati Languages

Ghadamès, Sened, Nafusi, Ghomara, Tagargrent, Temacine Tamazight, Taznatit, Tumzabt, Srair Senhaja, Tarifit, Tachawit, Tidikelt Tamazight, Kabyle, Chenoua.

Atlas Languages

Judeo-Berber, Tachelhit, Central Atlas Tamazight

Tamasheq Languages

Tahaggart Tamahaq, Tawallammat Tamajaq, Tayart Tamajeq, Tamasheq

Semitic Languages

East Semitic Languages (extinct)

West Semitic Languages

North West Semitic

Amorite*(extinct), Ugaritic*(extinct), Hebrew, Ammonite* (extinct), Moabite*(extinct), Edomite*(extinct), Phoenician*(extinct)

Aramaic Languages

Ma’loula, Sureth (or Assyrian Neo-Aramaic), Turoyo, Neo-Mandaic (or Ratna).

Arabic

Standard Arabic, Arabic (dialectal continuum), Maltese.

South-Semitic Languages

Western South Semitic

Old South Arabian (extinct), Geez, Tigré, Tigrigna, Dahlik, Gafat, Kistane, Inor, Mesmes, Mesqan, Sebat Bet Gurage, Amharic, Argobba, Harari, Silt’e, Wolane, Zay.

Eastern South Semitic

Bathari, Harsusi, Hobyót, Mehri, Shehri, Soqotri

Comments on the classification of Afro-Asiatic languages:

We have based our classification on the work of Bender (2000).

Classification in 6 branches of the Afroasiatic family

Traditionally, scientists consider that there are 6 branches in the group of Afro-Asian languages: Omotic languages, Chadic languages, Cushitic languages, Berber languages, Semitic languages and Egyptian languages.

On the other hand, all Egyptian languages being extinct, we have not taken into consideration this branch, even if the Coptic language, which belongs to it, is sometimes still used during religious ceremonies (just as Latin in Indo-European languages).

It should be noted, however, that classifications may differ depending on the sources: certain linguists (Newmann and Dakonoff) do not include Omotic languages in the Afro-Asiatic group, for example.

Semitic Languages

The issue of Arabic languages or dialects is a complex one. Generally, linguists acknowledge a dialectical continuum, spoken by 280 000 000 people, on a very large geographical area which goes from North-West Africa to the Middle East. The geographically most distant variants are only rarely mutually intelligible, and certain classifications consider they are independent languages.

We have decided to retain “literary” Arabic (which is generally the common standardised version and the official language of Arabic-speaking languages) and dialectical Arabic (as a group of dialects). The case of Maltese is more complex, official language, sometimes considered as a distant Arabic dialect, sometimes argued to be an Arabic based Creole, we classified it apart.

Modern Hebrew is a standardised form of a Hebrew group comprising a dozen of variants, sometimes considered as independent languages.

Dahlik is an only recently discovered and classified language within the Ethiopian languages (sub-group of Southern Semitic languages).

http://llacan.vjf.cnrs.fr/fichiers/Senelle/Dahalik_shaebia05.pdf

Which Afro-Asiatic languages are endangered?

It is likely that a large number of these languages are endangered, but we do not have, for now, precise estimates concerning the vitality of these languages. Many languages from this group are extinct: it is the case of all Egyptian languages and the Semitic languages of the East.

This section will be developed subsequently.

Ethnographic elements

This section will be developed subsequently.

Linguistic details

This section will be developed subsequently.

Sources

African Languages – An Introduction, Bernd Heine and Derek Nurse (eds), Cambridge University Press (2000)

Bender, M. Lionel. 2000. Comparative Morphology of the Omotic Languages. Munich: LINCOM. Classification copied in Raymond G. Gordon, Jr, ed. 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World. 15th edition. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics.

Hayward, Richard J. 2003. Omotic: the “empty quarter” of Afroasiatic linguistics. In Research in Afroasiatic Grammar II: selected papers from the fifth conference on Afroasiatic languages, Paris 2000, Jacqueline Lecarme (ed.) pp. 241-261. Amsterdam: John Benjamins