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Dogon languages

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Dogon
EthnicityDogon people
Geographic
distribution		Dogon country, Mali (mainly Bandiagara Region)
Linguistic classificationNiger-Congo?
  • Dogon
Subdivisions
Language codes
–
Glottologdogo1299
Map of the Dogon languages
  Bangime (possible language isolate)
  Plains Dogon – Jamsai, Toro Tegu, Western Plains (Togo Kan, Tengu Kan, Tomo Kan)
  Escarpment Dogon – Toro So, Tommo So, Donno So
  West Dogon – Duleri, Mombo, Ampari–Penange, Budu
  North Plateau Dogon – Bondum, Dogul
  Nanga languages – Nanga, Bankan Tey, Ben Tey, Yanda
  Tebul Dogon (+ Tebul Sign Language)
  Ana Dogon

The Dogon languages are a small closely related language family that is spoken by the Dogon people of Mali and may belong to the proposed Niger–Congo family. There are about 600,000 speakers of its dozen languages. They are tonal languages, and most, like Dogul, have two tones, but some, like Donno So, have three. Their basic word order is subject–object–verb.

External relationships

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The evidence linking Dogon to the Niger–Congo family is mainly a few numerals and some common core vocabulary. Various theories have been proposed, placing them with Gur, Mande, or as an independent branch, the last now being the preferred approach. The Dogon languages show very few remnants of the noun class system characteristic of much of Niger–Congo, leading linguists to conclude that they likely diverged from Niger–Congo very early.[citation needed]

Roger Blench comments,[1]

Dogon is both lexically and structurally very different from most other [Niger–Congo] families. It lacks the noun-classes usually regarded as typical of Niger–Congo and has a word order (SOV) that resembles Mande and Ịjọ, but not the other branches. The system of verbal inflections, resembling French is quite unlike any surrounding languages. As a consequence, the ancestor of Dogon is likely to have diverged very early, although the present-day languages probably reflect an origin some 3–4000 years ago. Dogon languages are territorially coherent, suggesting that, despite local migration histories, the Dogon have been in this area of Mali from their origin.

and:[2]

Dogon is certainly a well-founded and coherent group. But it has no characteristic Niger–Congo features (noun-classes, verbal extensions, labial-velars) and very few lexical cognates. It could equally well be an independent language family.

The Bamana and Fula languages have exerted significant influence on Dogon, due to their close cultural and geographical ties.

Blench (2015) speculates that Bangime and Dogon languages may have a substratum from a "missing" branch of Nilo-Saharan that had split off relatively early from Proto-Nilo-Saharan, and tentatively calls that branch "Plateau".[3]

Internal classification

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The Dogon consider themselves a single ethnic group, but recognise that their languages are different. In Dogon cosmology, Dogon constitutes six of the twelve languages of the world (the others being Fulfulde, Mooré, Bambara, Bozo and Tamasheq).[4] Jamsay is thought to be the original Dogon language, but the Dogon "recognise a myriad of tiny distinctions even between parts of villages and sometimes individuals, and strive to preserve these" (Hochstetler 2004:18).

The best-studied Dogon language is the escarpment language Toro So (Tɔrɔ sɔɔ) of Sanga, due to Marcel Griaule's studies there and because Toro So was selected as one of thirteen national languages of Mali. It is mutually intelligible with other escarpment varieties. However, the plains languages—Tene Ka, Tomo Ka, and Jamsay, which are not intelligible with Toro so—have more speakers.

Bangime language (aka Baŋgɛri mɛ), is considered a divergent branch of Dogon by some and a possible language isolate by others (Blench 2005b).

Calame-Griaule (1956)

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Calame-Griaule appears to have been the first to work out the various varieties of Dogon. Calame-Griaule (1956) classified the languages as follows, with accommodation given for languages which have since been discovered (new Dogon languages were reported as late as 2005), or have since been shown to be mutually intelligible (as Hochstetler confirmed for the escarpment dialects). The two standard languages are asterisked.

Douyon and Blench (2005) report an additional variety, which is as yet unclassified:

Blench noted that the plural suffix on nouns suggests that Budu is closest to Mombo, so it has been tentatively included as West Dogon above. He also notes that Walo–Kumbe is lexically similar to Naŋa; Hochstetler suspects it may be Naŋa. The similarities between these languages may be shared with Yanda. These are all extremely poorly known.

Glottolog 4.3

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Glottolog 4.3[5] synthesises classifications from Moran & Prokić (2013) and Hochstetler (2004). Moran & Prokić (2013) argue for a binary east-west split within Dogon, with Yanda Dom Dogon, Tebul Ure Dogon, and Najamba-Kindige as originally western Dogon languages that have become increasingly more similar to eastern Dogon languages due to intensive contact.

Comparative vocabulary

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Comparison of basic vocabulary words of the Dogon languages,[6] along with Bangime:[7]

Language Location eye ear nose tooth tongue mouth blood bone tree water eat name
Yorno-So gìrǐː súgùrù kín ɛ̌n nɛ́nɛ́, nɛ̀nɛ̌ː kɛ̀nɛ́, áŋá ìllîː kǐː náː dǐː káː bôy
Toro Tegu Tabi jìró, gìró súgúrú cìrⁿò-ká jìrⁿó lèlá ká néŋ cìrá náː, X nà ní lí ~ lɛ́ ìsǒŋ
Ben Tey Beni jìré súːrⁿù círⁿì ìrⁿú, ìrⁿí lɛ̀mdɛ̂ː mǒː, m̀bǒː gòŋgòró cìrⁿéy náː, nàː-dûm nîː ñɛ́ ìnìrⁿîː
Yanda Dom Yanda gìd-íyè, gìdè sún kìnzà ìn nɛ̀mdà cɛ́nɛ́, m̀bò jènjù kìrⁿà tìmè, tìmɛ̀, nìː ínjú ʔə́ñɛ́ ~ ʔə́ñá-lì ín
Jamsay Douentza jìré sûn círⁿé ìrⁿé nɛ̀nɛ́ káː nɛ̂yⁿ cìrⁿé náː níː ñɛ́ː bón
Perge Tegu Pergué gìré súŋúrⁿù kírⁿé ìrⁿé lɛ̀lɛ́ káː nɛ̂m kìrⁿé náː níː ñɛ́ː sórⁿú
Gourou Kiri gìré súŋùn kírⁿé ìrⁿé nɛ̀nɛ́ káː nɛ̂yⁿ kìrⁿé ̀̌ níː ñɛ́ː bón
Nanga Anda gìré súŋúrⁿì kírⁿê ǹnɛ́, ìnɛ́, ìrⁿɛ́ nɛ́ndɛ̀ nɔ̌ː gòndùgó kìrⁿá déː, nàː dûː nîː kɔ́ː ǹnèrⁿî, ìnèrⁿî
Bankan-Tey Walo gìré sûn círⁿè ŋìrⁿɛ́, ñìrⁿɛ́ lɛ̀mbìrɛ̂ mbǔː gòŋgòró kìrⁿěy nàː-dûm nîː ñɛ́ ŋìnnîː, ñìnnîː
Najamba Kubewel-Adia gìró ~ gìré súnùː ~ súnìː kìnjâː ~ kìnjɛ̂ː ìnɔ̌ː ~ ìnɛ̌ː nɛ̌ndɔ̀ː ~ nɛ̌ndɛ̀ː ìbí-ŋgé ~ ìbí gěn-gé ~ gěn kìná-ŋgó ~ kìná nǐː ~ nìː-mbó íŋgé ~ íŋgé, ínjé ~ ínjé kwɛ́ ínèn ~ ínèn
Tommo-So Tongo-Tongo gìré súgúlú kínú ìnú nííndɛ́ kɛ̀nnɛ́, áŋá ìlìyé kìyé tímɛ́ díí ńyɛ́ bóy
Togo-Kan Koporo-pen gìré súgúrú kírⁿí ìrⁿí nɛ́nɛ́ káⁿ nɛ́ kìrⁿí náː díː ñíː ~ ñíː bɔ́ⁿ
Mombo Songho gírè súgúlí kìjìkìjì kínjà ínnì nèːndé dónì gèːŋgé gàːwⁿěː tíníŋgɔ̀ mîː ɲɛ́ː íní
Bangime[7] ɡìré tàŋà súmbí-rì n nóɔ́ n síìⁿ nóɔ́ n ʒɛ̀rí nɔ́ɔ̀ ʒíì nnòɔ̀rɛ̀ dʷàà, dʷàɛ̀ ɥíè dì-á (màá) níì

Numerals

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Comparison of numerals in individual languages:[8]

Language 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Dogulu Dom (1) tɔ̀mɔ̀ nééɡè táándù kɛ́ɛ́sɔ̀ ǹó kúlè sɔ́ɔ́wɛ̀ sèèlé tùùwɔ́ pɛ́ɛ̀l
Dogul Dom Dogon (2) tomo nɛiɡe taandu kɛɛso n'nɔ kuloi sɔɔi seele tuwɔ pɛɛl
Tommo So Dogon tíí (túmɔ́ as a modifier) néé tààndú nǎy ǹnɔ́ kúlóy sɔ́y ɡáɡìrà túwwɔ́ pɛ́l
Donno So Dogon tí (for counting), túru lɛ̀y tàːnu này nùmoro / nnɔ kúlóy / kulei sɔ̀y ɡàɡara tùo / tuɡɔ pɛ́lu
Jamsay Dogon túrú lɛ̌y / lɛ̀y tǎːn / tàːn nǎyⁿ / nàyⁿ * nǔːyⁿ / nùːyⁿ kúróy sûyⁿ ɡáːrà láːrúwà / láːrwà pɛ́rú
Toro So Dogon (1) tíì (for counting), túrú lɛ́j tàánú nàjí nùmɔ́r̃ɔ́ kúlòj sɔ́j ɡáárà túwɔ́ pɛ́rú
Toro So Dogon (2) tíírú (for counting), túrú léí táánú náí númɔ́rɔ́n kúlóí sɔ́í ɡáɡárá túwɔ́ pɛ́lú
Toro Tegu Dogon túrú lɛ̌y tǎːlí nǎyⁿ * nǔːyⁿ kúréy sóyⁿ ɡáːrà láːrà pɛ́ró
Bankan Tey Dogon tùmá jǒj tàːní nìŋŋějⁿ nùmmǔjⁿ kúròj síjⁿɔ̀jⁿ ɡáːràj tèːsúm pɛ́ːrú
Ben Tey Dogon tùmɔ́: yěy tàːnú nǐːyⁿ nùmǔyⁿ kúròy súyⁿɔ̀yⁿ ɡáːrày tèːsǐm pɛ́rú
Mombo Dogon yɛ̀ːtáːŋɡù / tíːtà (in counting) nɛ́ːŋɡá táːndì kɛ́ːjɔ́ núːmù kúléyⁿ sɔ́ːlì séːlè tóːwà pɛ́ːlù
Najamba-Kindige kúndé nôːj tàːndîː kɛ́ːdʒɛ̀j nùmîː kúlèj swɛ̂j sáːɡìː twâj píjɛ́lì
Nanga Dogon tùmâ wǒj tàːndǐː nɔ̌jⁿ nìmǐː kúrê sújɛ̂ ɡáːrɛ̀ tèːsǐː pɛ́ːrú
Togo Kan Dogon (1) tí lɔ́y tàán, tàánú nǎyⁿ núnɛ́ɛ́ⁿ kúréé sɔ́ɔ̀ sìláà túwáà pɛ́rú
Togo Kan Dogon (2) tí lɔ́yì tánn náɲì númɛ̀ kúlèn sɔ́ sílà túwà pɛ́lì
Yanda Dom Dogon tùmá: nɔ́ː / nó táːndù cɛ́zɔ̀ nûm kúlé swɛ́ː sáːɡè twâː píyél

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Dogon Languages Archived June 15, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved May 19, 2013
  2. ^ Roger Blench, Niger-Congo: an alternative view
  3. ^ Blench, Roger. 2015. Was there a now-vanished branch of Nilo-Saharan on the Dogon Plateau? Evidence from substrate vocabulary in Bangime and Dogon. In Mother Tongue, Issue 20, 2015: In Memory of Harold Crane Fleming (1926–2015).
  4. ^ The last is not mentioned in Hochstetler's sources.
  5. ^ Glottolog 4.3.
  6. ^ Heath, Jeffrey; McPherson, Laura; Prokhorov, Kirill; Moran, Steven. 2015. Dogon Comparative Wordlist. Unpublished Manuscript.
  7. ^ a b Heath, Jeffrey. 2013. Bangime and Dogon Comparative Wordlists. m.s.
  8. ^ Chan, Eugene (2019). "The Niger-Congo Language Phylum". Numeral Systems of the World's Languages.

References

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Wikivoyage has a phrasebook for Dogon.
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