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Nalu language

Atlantic language of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Nalu (nalɛ, nul;[2] also spelled Nalou[3]) is an Atlantic language of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, spoken by the Nalu people, a West African people who settled the region before the arrival of the Mandinka in the 14th or 15th centuries.[4] It is spoken predominantly by adults. It is estimated to be spoken by a range of 10,000 to 25,000 people,[3] whereas Wilson (2007) reports that there are around 12,000 speakers.[2] It is considered an endangered language due to its dwindling population of speakers.[5]

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Classification

Contrary to prior classifications, Güldemann (2018) classifies Nalu as unclassified within Niger-Congo. It also does not form a subgroup with the Rio Nunez languages.[6]

Nalu is traditionally classified as Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Mbulugish-Nalu.[7][8]

History

The Nalu people who speak Nalu have been described as settling in West Africa before the Mandinka people.[9] This would place them as existing in West Africa between the 14th and 15th centuries. Wilson (2007) reports that the Nalu people had originally come from Guinea-Bissau.[2]

Today, the Nalu speakers are shifting toward the Susu language which is gaining more popularity in Guinea.[10] It has a predominantly adult-speaking population. The next generation is being passed on the language, however, in a few remote villages around Katoufoura.

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Geographic distribution

Nalu is spoken predominantly on the littorals, or shore regions, of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.[11] Most Nalu speakers in Guinea live north of the Nuñez River on the Tristão islands, in the sub-prefecture of Kanfarandé which is the prefecture of Boké. In Guinea-Bissau, most speakers of Nalu live in the Cacine estuary in the Tombali region.[12]

Phonology

More information Labial, Alveolar ...
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  • It is unclear whether vowel length is phonemic.

Vocabulary

Nalu underwent a sound change in its language.[13] Sound change generally occurs due to what sounds require less effort for the speaker. These sound changes are usually limited to each dialect in a language and examples of the Nalu language sound changes are in the section below. Nalu has six dialects. Three are spoken in Guinea-Conakry and three are spoken in Guinée-Bissau.[13] However, the relationship between the dialects is unknown.

Examples

Nouns [13][14]

More information English ...

Verbs[14]

More information English ...

Sound Changes Over Time[13]

More information English, Pre-Sound Change Nalu ...
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References

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