Atlantic–Congo languages

Atlantic–Congo
Geographic distribution	Africa
Linguistic classification	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo
Subdivisions	Talodi–Heiban (Kordofanian) Senegambian Nalu Rio Nunez Mel Sua Gola Limba Volta–Congo
Language codes
ISO 639-5	alv
Glottolog	atla1278
The Atlantic–Congo languages shown within the Niger–Congo language family. Non-Atlantic–Congo languages are greyscale.

The Atlantic–Congo languages make up the largest demonstrated family of languages in Africa. They have characteristic noun class systems and form the core of the Niger–Congo family hypothesis. They comprise all of Niger–Congo apart from Mande, Dogon, Ijoid, Siamou, Kru, the Katla and Rashad languages (previously classified as Kordofanian), and perhaps some or all of the Ubangian languages. Hans Gunther Mukanovsky's "Western Nigritic" corresponded roughly to modern Atlantic–Congo.^[1]

In the infobox, the languages which appear to be the most divergent are placed at the top.^[2] The Atlantic branch is defined in the narrow sense (as Senegambian), while the former Atlantic branches Mel and the isolates Sua, Gola and Limba are split out as primary branches; they are mentioned next to each other because there is no published evidence to move them; Volta–Congo is intact apart from Senufo and Kru.

Glottolog, based primarily on Güldemann (2018), has a more limited evaluation of what has been demonstrated to be Atlantic–Congo, consisting basically of Volta–Congo and erstwhile West Atlantic:

• Atlantic–Congo
  • Gola
  • Limba
  • Sua (Mansoanka)
  • Mel
  • Senegambian (North-Central Atlantic)
  • Volta–Congo

Pεrε, Mprε and Aproumu Aizi appear to be Atlantic–Congo or more specifically Volta–Congo but otherwise remain unclassified within the family.^[3]

In addition, Güldemann (2018) lists the West Atlantic languages Nalu and Rio Nunez as unclassified languages within Niger-Congo.^[4]

There are a few poorly attested languages, such as Bayot and Bung, which may prove to be additional branches.^{[citation needed]}

Comparative vocabulary

Sample basic vocabulary for reconstructed proto-languages of different Atlantic-Congo branches:

Branch	Language	eye	ear	nose	tooth	tongue	mouth	blood	bone	tree	water	eat	name
"Western Nigritic" (roughly Atlantic–Congo)	Proto-"Western Nigritic"[1]	*-nín-, *-nínu	*-thúi, *-thú-	*-míl-, *-míla	*-nín- (*-níghin-)	*-líma (*-líami); *-lélum- (*-lúm-)	*-níana; *-níuna (*-núa)	*-ghìá; *-kàl-	*-khwúpà	*-tí	*-lingi	*di-	*-ghínà
Benue-Congo	Proto-Benue-Congo[5]	*-lito	*-tuŋi	*-zua	*-nini, *-nino; *-sana; *-gaŋgo	*-lemi; *-lake		*-zi; *-luŋ	*-kupe	*-titi; *-kwon	*-izi; *-ni		*-zina
Bantu	Proto-Bantu[6]	*i=jíco	*kʊ=tʊ́i	*i=jʊ́lʊ	*i=jíno; *i=gego	*lʊ=lɪ́mi	*ka=nʊa; *mʊ=lomo	*ma=gilá; *=gil-a; *ma=gadí; *=gadí; *mʊ=lopa; *ma=ɲínga	*i=kúpa	*mʊ=tɪ́	*ma=jíjɪ; *i=diba (HH?)	*=lɪ́ -a	*i=jína
Yoruboid	Proto-Yoruboid language[7]	*é-jú	*é-tí	*ímṵ́	*éŋḭ́	Yor. ahá̰	*ɛ́lṵ ?	*ɛ̀-gyɛ̀	*égbṵ́gbṵ́	Yor. igi	*ó-mḭ	*jɛṵ	*órú- ?
Gbe	Proto-Gbe[8]		*-tó		*aɖú	*-ɖɛ́	*-ɖũ; *-ɖũkpá	*-ʁʷũ	*-χʷú	*-tĩ́	*-tsĩ	*ɖu	*yĩ́kɔ́
Gur	Proto-Central Gur[9]			*me (Oti-Volta, Gurunsi)	*ye (Gurunsi, Kurumfe)			*ñam, *ñim (Oti-Volta, Kurumfe)	*ʔob, *ʔo	*tɪ (Oti-Volta, Gurunsi)	*ni, *ne; *nã (Oti-Volta, Gurunsi)	*di	*yɪɗ, *yɪd (Oti-Volta, Gurunsi)
Gbaya	Proto-Gbaya[10]	*gbà.l̥í/l̥í	*zɛ̀rà	*zɔ̰̀p	*ɲín	*léɓé ~ lémbè	*nú	*tɔ̀k	*gbà̰là̰	*l̥ì	*tè	*ɲɔŋ/l̥i	*l̥ín ~ l̥íŋ

References

1. Mukarovsky, Hans (1976). A study of Western Nigritic. Wien: Institut für Ägyptologie und Afrikanistik, Universität Wien. OCLC 21527702.
2. Blench, Roger (2012). "Niger-Congo: an alternative view" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-04-05.
3. Cite error: The named reference glotto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
4. Güldemann, Tom (2018). "Historical linguistics and genealogical language classification in Africa". In Güldemann, Tom (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of Africa. The World of Linguistics series. Vol. 11. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 58–444. doi:10.1515/9783110421668-002. ISBN 978-3-11-042606-9. S2CID 133888593.
5. Wolf, Paul de (1971). The Noun-Class System of Proto-Benue-Congo. doi:10.1515/9783110905311. ISBN 9783110905311.
6. Schadeberg, Thilo C. (2003). "Historical linguistics". In Nurse, Derek; Philippson, Gérard (eds.). The Bantu Languages. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-700-71134-5.
7. Aubry, N.; Friedman, H.; Pozdniakov, K. (2004). "Proto-Yoruba-Igala Swadesh list" (PDF). Langage, Langues et Cultures d’Afrique (LLACAN), Centre National de la Récherche Sciéntifique (CNRS). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-01-05.
8. Capo, Hounkpati B.C. (1991). A Comparative Phonology of Gbe. doi:10.1515/9783110870534. ISBN 978-3-11-013392-9.
9. Manessy, Gabriel (1979). Contribution à la classification généalogique des langues voltaïques. Peeters Publishers. ISBN 2852970635.
10. Moñino, Yves (1988). Lexique comparatif des langues oubanguiennes. Laboratoire de langues et civilisations à tradition orale, Dép. "Langues et parole en Afrique centrale". ISBN 9782705303532.