Appendix:Proto-Niger-Saharan reconstructions

Niger-Saharan, a language macrofamily linking the Niger-Congo and Nilo-Saharan phyla, was proposed by Blench (2006). It is highly controversial and not accepted by mainstream linguistics.

Classification

• Proto-Niger-Saharan
  • Songhay, Saharan, Maba, Fur, Kuliak, Berta, Kunama, Komuz, Shabo
  • Kado-Sudanic
    • Kado (Kadugli-Krongo)
    • Niger-Sudanic
      • East Sudanic
      • Niger-Central Sudanic
        • Central Sudanic
        • Niger-Congo

Typological features

According to Blench (2006), typological features common to both Niger-Congo and Nilo-Saharan include:

• Phonology: ATR vowel harmony and the labial-velars /kp/ and /gb/
• Noun-class affixes: e.g., ma- affix for mass nouns in Nilo-Saharan
• Verbal extensions and plural verbs

Lexicon

Proto-Niger-Saharan quasi-reconstructions proposed by Blench (2006):

Gloss	Proto-Niger-Saharan	Notes
arm, hand, shoulder	#-bVkV
two, twins	#-bale
hole, hollow	#buru
white	#bulu
tongue	#deNe
throat, voice, neck	#goro
thorn	#kaN-
to count	#kaNa
charcoal	#kili
to go	#ko
round, circle	#koro
house, single room	#-kul-
knee	#kulu
navel, belly	#kum
firewood	#-kan(d)i
stone, hill	#kur
four	#naN
to build	#tum
bone	#-kub-
fat, oil, grease	#mor-
to bite	#-doNa
tooth	#nyi
female breast	#(m)ba(CV)
ten	#-pu
word, to say	#tarV
canoe	#yɛtɪ
white	#bV(n)t-
fire	#isi
pig (wild types)	#-kutu
dog	#-si
tortoise, turtle	#kuru
to cough	#kpa	ideophonic derivation
to fly, jump	#pur-	ideophonic derivation
be black	#bi	ideophonic derivation
child (give birth)	#bi
to dance, sing, play	#biŋ
come	#ɓwoN
to cut, split	#deŋ-
rat/mouse	#-fil-
one	#kVnV
die, kill	#kui
buy, sell	#la
to give	#nyiN-
moon	#paɲa
sand	#-shishi
snake (generic)	#soN-
kill, die	#wu(Ru)
belly, stomach	#bulV(k)
to bite	#nduma
breast	#mbora
buffalo	#ŋara
earth, ground	#bwiro
egg	#kV-guri
elephant, rhino	?
to fall (as rain)	#duri
fat	#mora
five	#turu
to know	#ɲeli
navel	#kombu
neck, to swallow	#moro(k)
pool, water	#tabar
red	#bire(n)
roast, burn	#fya
spread out to dry, stretch out	#tara
to pour	#tV(rV)
to pound	#togo
to split, cut, break	#keri	Pan-African root
skin, hide	#kulu	Pan-African root
knee	#kulu	Pan-African root
tortoise, turtle	#kuru	Pan-African root
crab	#kala	Pan-African root

Bibliography

• Blench, Roger M. 1995. Is Niger-Congo simply a branch of Nilo-Saharan? In: Proceedings of the Fifth Nilo-Saharan Linguistics Colloquium, Nice, 1992. ed. R. Nicolai and F. Rottland. 68-118. Köln: Rudiger Köppe.
• Blench, Roger. 2004a. Further evidence for Niger-Saharan and the problem of Pan-African roots. (Revised version of a paper originally presented at the 7th Nilo-Saharan Conference in Vienna, 2-6th September, 1998.)
• Blench, Roger. 2004b. Niger-Saharan: additional glosses. (Revised version of a paper originally presented at the 8th Nilo-Saharan Conference in Hamburg, 22-25th August, 2001.)