Moru–Madi
Geographic
distribution		CAR, Chad, South Sudan
Linguistic classificationNilo-Saharan?
Glottologmoru1252

The Moru–Madi languages of the Central Sudanic language family are a cluster of closely related languages spoken in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda. Moru is spoken by 100,000 people, and Ma'di is spoken by twice that number. The most populous languages are Aringa of Uganda, with close to a million speakers, and Lugbara, with 1.6 million.

Languages

The languages in this cluster are found across three countries: Uganda (Ma'di, Lugbara, Aringa, S. Ma'di); South Sudan (Aringa, Ma'di, Lolu'bo, Avukaya, Kaliko, Moru, and Logo); and the Democratic Republic of Congo (Lugbara, Avukaya, Kaliko, and Logo).

The name 'Madi'

The name Ma'di is used for various peoples in the region. There is a tendency, especially in the Acholi region of northern Uganda, to refer to anyone from West Nile Region as a Ma'di, even the Kakwa. The only group in this region who are never called Ma'di are the Alur.

Joseph Pasquale Crazzolara,[1] for example, states that "all Logbara [...] agree that they are of the Ma'di nation, that they are Ma'di. They are called Ma'di by the Alur of Okooro, their immediate neighbours, in Bunyoro and Buganda." Similarly, the linguist A. N. Tucker described the neighboring Keliko people who occupy the high plateau near the Logbara, as having the "real name Ma'di".[2] However, the Keliko regard themselves as Keliko rather than as Ma'di.

Comparative vocabulary

Sample basic vocabulary of Moru-Ma'di languages from Boone & Watson (1996):[3]

LanguageDialecteyeearnosetoothtonguemouthbloodbonetreewatereatname
MoruKâdiromibikʊmvʊsilaɖakalakarikʊwacɛjǐɔɲaʌvuru
MoruLakamadimibikʊmvʊsilaɖakalakarikʊwaicɛ, cɛjǐɔɲaʌvuru
MoruMizamibikʊmvʊsilaɖakalakarikʊwaicɛ, cɛjǐɔɲaʌvuru
MoruÂgyimibikʊmvʊsilaɖakalakarikʷaicɛìjíaɲaru
MoruÂndrimibiimvʊsilaɖakalaarifāifɛìjíɔɲaru
Moru'Bâri'bâmibiimvʊsilaɖakalaarikʷaifɛìjíɔɲaru
MoruWa'dimibikʊmvʊsilaɖatikarikʷacɛìjíaɲaru
AvokayaSudanlìfíbíɔ̀mvɔ̄sílànɖātīàrɪ́fàfɛ̄lùmvūɲàrú
AvokayaZaïremǐfíbíɔ̀mvɔ̄sílàɖātīàrɪ́fàfɛ̄yǐɲàrú
LogoOgambi, Doka, Lolia,
Obeleba, Bhagira		mìbíkɔ̀mvɔ̄sílàɖātīkàrɪfàfāyǐɲārú
Logo BariKanzakomìkífíɓíkɔ̀mvɔ̄sílàɖātīkàrɪ̄fàfɛ̄yǐɲārú
Logo BariWestmìbíkɔ̀mvɔ̄sílàɖātīkàrɪ̄fàfɛ̄yǐɲārú
Logo BariMandraɲɛ̌fɪ́ɓíɔ̀mvɔ̄sílàɖātīàrɪ́fàfɛ̄ɛ̀yíɔ̀ɲārú
KalikoMa'di-Didimì, mīfíbíɔ̀mvɔ̄síàɖātīkàrɪ́, àrɪ̀fàfā, fʌ̄tīyǐɲārú
KalikoSouthwestmī, mīfíbíɔmvɔ̄síàɖātíàrɪ́fāfɛ́yǐɲārú
KalikoRapa'bamībíɔmvɔ̄síālāɖātɔ́gʊ́àrɪ́fàfɛ́yǐɲārú
KalikoMa'di-Dogomīfíbíɔ̀mvɔ̄síàɖā---pʌ̀tìyǐɲārú
KalikoSoutheastmībíʊ̀mvʊ̄síáɖātī, tíàrɪ́fàpetiyǐ, ìjíɲārú
KalikoOmimǐfàbíɔ̀mbɔ̄síàɖātīàrɪ́fàlágɔ́fʌ̄tīyǐɲārú
Okollomulebíōmbʊ́síáɖātílɛ́àrɪ́cɔ̀ɔ́pʌ̄tíyǐɲárú
Ogokomìfībíɔ̀mvʊ̄síɪ́ɖɛ̄tīàrɪ́cɔ̀kɔ́pàtíyǐɲàrú
LugbaraZaire (Lu, Zaki, Abedzu)mìlɛ̄bíɔ̀mvūsíaɖatīàrɪ́fàlákɔ́pʌ̄tíyǐɲarú
LugbaraUganda (Vurra, Ayivu)mīlɛ́bíɔ̀mvʊ̄síāɖɛ̄tīàrɪ́fàlákɔ́pʌ̄tíyǐɲarú
Marachamìfībíɔ̀mvʊ̄síɛ̄ɖɛ̀tīàrɪ́fàlákɔ́pʌ̀tíyǐɲárú
Teregomìfībíɔ̀mvʊ̄síɛ̄ɖɛ̄tīàrɪ́fàlákɔ́pàtíkèyǐɲárú
Aringamīfíbíléɔ̀mvʊ̄síɪ̀ɖātīàrɪ́ìfàɪ̀fɛ́ìjíɲárú
Ma'diUgandamībíɔ̀mvɔ̄sílɛ̀ɖátiàrɪ́hʷakʷɛèyíɲārú
Ma'diLokaimíbíɔ̀mvɔ̄sílɛ̄dátíàrɪ, arikʷàkʷɛ̄ēyíɲārú
Ma'diPandikerimíbíɔ̀mvɔ̄sílɛ̄dátíɛ̀rɪkʷàkʷɛ̄īyíɲārú
Lulubomībíɔmbɔ̄sílɛ̄dātīɛ̀rɪ̄kʷākʷɛ̄īyíɲārú

References

  1. ↑ Crazzolara, J. P. (2017). A study of the Logbara (Ma'di) language: Grammar and vocabulary. Routledge. [Originally published 1960]
  2. ↑ The Eastern Sudanic Languages. By A. N. Tucker. vol. I. 434 pp. Oxford University Press, 1940
  3. ↑ Boone, Douglas; Richard L. Watson (editors). 1996. Moru-Ma'di survey report. Nairobi, Kenya: Summer Institute of Linguistics.
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