Kujarge language
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The Kujargé language is spoken in seven villages in Chad near Jebel Mirra () and in Sudan in villages scattered along the lower Wadi Salih and Wadi Azum. It is estimated to have about 1000 speakers (as of 1983). The language is classified by Paul Newman as a member of the Mubi subgroup of Chadic; however, Lionel Bender argues that its classification is still uncertain, on the basis that it shows much fewer roots in common with the other Mubi languages than they do with each other. The name is derived from Sudanese Arabic kujur "sorcerer", because of their reputation for witchcraft. The speakers mainly live by hunting and gathering.
Sounds
Judging by the one available wordlist, the consonants appear to be:
| Bilabial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plosives | b | t d | j | k g | |
| Implosives | ɓ | ɗ | |||
| Prenasalised plosives | mb | nd | nj | ŋg | |
| Fricatives | f | s | ʃ | ||
| Continuants | w | l | y | ||
| Nasals | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |
| Trills | r |
Relatively few consonant clusters are attested; they appear to all involve r+consonant or gemination (unless the prenasalized stops are to be seen as clusters.)
The vowels used in transcribing the same wordlist are: a, e, i, o, u, ʌ, ɛ, ɔ. It is not clear whether all of these are phonemically distinct; ʌ and ɔ, in particular, are rare.
Grammar
The pronouns include annu "I", nigi "you (sg.)". Interrogative pronouns include ŋgayna "what?", ye "who?". Demonstratives include agu "this".
The numbers include:
- kirre
- kurro
- ubo
Bibliography
- Paul Doornbos & M. Lionel Bender. 1983. "Languages of Wadai-Darfur", in ed. M. Lionel Bender, Nilo-Saharan Language Studies, African Studies Center, Michigan State University
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