South Cushitic languages

The Südkuschitischen languages ​​, also named after the Great African Rift Valley grave breach or Rift languages ​​are a group of languages ​​that are spoken in small areas in the north of Tanzania. They belong to the Cushitic languages ​​, a primary branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. The most important südkuschitische language is the Iraqw with almost half a million speakers. Gorowa, Alagwa and Burunge each have tens of thousands of speakers, Aasáx and Kw'adza are now extinct. Mbugu / Ma ' a and the spoken in Kenya Dahalo whose assignment to Südkuschitischen is controversial, are considered endangered.

The spokesman südkuschitischer languages ​​are considered to be the second oldest stratum of the population in East Africa after the Khoisan -speaking ethnic groups ( the Hadza, Sandawe ) and before the Südniloten and Bantu. These languages ​​are therefore likely to have been originally used in larger areas. Their spokesmen each form of the same ethnic groups as the Iraqw, Gorowa and Assa.

Research and classification history

Leo Reinisch classified early 20th century Iraqw, Gorowa, Alagwa and Burunge the first time as " Hamitic " ( Afro-Asiatic ) languages. Carl Meinhof located 1906 Burunge and Mbugu / Ma 'a also as a Hamitic and recognized their affinity for ( ostkuschitischen ) Somali. Archibald N. Tucker and Margaret Bryan (1957, 1966) did not heed the arguments for an assignment for Afro Asiatic, however, and saw Iraqw, Gorowa, Burunge and Alagwa as isolated " Iraqw Languages" on. W. H. Whiteley joined their view. 1963 Joseph Greenberg classified these four languages ​​as Südkuschitisch within the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic languages.

Christopher Ehret developed in 1980 the division into Rift languages ​​( with eastern and western branch ) plus Mbugu / Ma ' a and Dahalo. Some researchers divide the Dahalo but as a ostkuschitische language. The classification of Mbugu / Ma ' a is difficult for theoretical reasons, since it is a mixed language of a Bantu language, a Cushitic language. Robert Hetzron struck before 1980, to classify the südkuschitischen languages ​​morphological reasons as part of the ostkuschitischen languages.

Classification

  • Afro-Asiatic Cushitic Südkuschitisch? Dahalo
  • ? Mbugu / Ma 'a
  • Rift languages East Rift Kw'adza ( Qwadza )
  • Aasáx ( Asa, Asa )
  • South -West Rift: Burunge
  • North -West Rift Alagwa
  • Iraqwoid Gorowa ( Gorwaa )
  • Iraqw
Mbugu language Sandawe people Iraqw people Gorowa people
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