Katla (also Kaalak or Kwaalak) is a Katla language, closely related to a neighbouring language called Tima. Katla is generally classified as Kordofanian, which is not a uniform branch, and is native to the Nuba Mountains.[3] While Jalad is seen a dialect there is a clear distinction between the two groups. Similarly one can distinguish Katla into east and west Katla dialects,[4] it is believed to be spoken in 11 villages around Jebel Katla and their ethnicity is kàlàk.[4]
Katla | |
---|---|
Kaalak | |
Native to | Sudan |
Region | Nuba Hills |
Ethnicity | Katla, Gulud |
Native speakers | 25,000 Julud (2009)[1] Possibly 14,000 Katla (1984)[2] |
Niger–Congo?
| |
Dialects |
|
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | kcr |
Glottolog | katl1237 Katlajulu1237 Julud |
ELP | Katla |
The variety Julud is mutually intelligible with Katla-Kulharong but not with Katla-Cakom.
Phonology
editConsonants
editLabial | Dental | Alveolar | Post- alveolar |
Velar | Labial- velar |
Glottal | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plosive | voiceless | t̪ | t | (c) | k | k͡p | (ʔ) | |
voiced | b | d̪ | d | ɟ | ɡ | ɡ͡b | ||
prenasal | ᵐb | ⁿd̪ | ⁿd | ᶮɟ | ᵑɡ | |||
Fricative | s | (ʃ) | h | |||||
Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | ||||
Rhotic | r | ɽ | ||||||
Approximant | w | l | j |
Sounds [c] and [ʃ] occur as realizations of /s/.[5]
Labial | Dental/ Alveolar | Retroflex | Palatal | Velar | Labial-velar | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plosive | voiceless | t̪ | ʈ | k | k͡p | ||
voiced | b | d̪ | ɖ | ɟ | ɡ | ɡ͡b | |
prenasal | ᵐb | ⁿd̪ | ᶯɖ | ᶮɟ | ᵑɡ | ||
Fricative | f | s | ʃ | ||||
Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |||
Rhotic | r | ɽ | |||||
Approximant | w | l | j |
Vowels
editFront | Central | Back | |
---|---|---|---|
Close | i | u | |
Mid | e | ə | o |
ɛ | ɔ | ||
Open | a |
/i, u/ can also be realized as [ɪ, ʊ].[5]
Front | Central | Back | |
---|---|---|---|
Close | i | u | |
ɪ | ʊ | ||
Mid | e | ə | o |
ɛ | ɔ | ||
Open | ɐ | ||
a |
Nouns
editPlural
editMost of the time nouns in Katla do not have a plural, either numbers are put in front of the word or a quantifier is used. Often loanwords do not follow this rule and therefore change in their plural form.[7]
Genitive case
editIn some cases Katla places the genitive after the subject, as in other Sudanese languages: ‚u gbalana‘ " the dog’s owner ". Usually this is avoided and put in between both nouns: ‚gas i gu‘ „the dog’s head“.[8]
Subjective case
editThe subjective case is put infringement of the verb. In the case of multiple objects each one gets a case:
‘gu šekemole retet’ “The dog bit the gazelle”[8]
Pronouns
edit[9] | singular | plural |
---|---|---|
1st person | Ṇ- | Ni-, N-, Ń- |
2nd person | Dj- | Dj- |
3rd person | Y- | Y- |
Numbers
editSource:[10]
- tẹták
- sẹk
- hātẹd
- agálam
- jẹgwūlẹn
- djọltẹn
- djolēk
- taṅgẹl
- djalbatẹn
- rākwẹs
Dialects and locations
editDialects and village locations:[1]
- Julud dialect: Kabog, Kabog North, Kabosh, Kambai, Karkando, Karkarya, Kary, Kimndang, Kitanngo, Kolbi, Koto Kork, Octiang, Rumber, Sabba, and Tolot
- Katla dialect: Bombori, Karoka, Kateik, Kiddu, Kirkpong, and Koldrong
References
edit- ^ a b Katla at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
- ^ Katla language at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
- ^ Birgit Hellwig 2013, p. 238.
- ^ a b Brigit Hellwig 2013, p. 238.
- ^ a b Tucker, Archibald N.; Bryan, Margaret A. (1966). The Katla Group. In Linguistic Analyses: The Non-Bantu Languages of North-Eastern Africa: London: Oxford University Press.
- ^ a b Nüsslein, Ulrike (2020). A Grammar of Kordofanian Julut with Particular Consideration of the Verbal Morphology. Köln: Köppe. pp. 30–31.
- ^ Meinhof 1917, p. 219.
- ^ a b Meinhof 1917, p. 221.
- ^ Meinhof, Carl. 1916-1917. Sprachstudien im egyptischen Sudan 14: Katla. Zeitschrift für Kolonialsprachen VII. 212-235. p.224
- ^ Meinhof, Carl. 1916-1917. Sprachstudien im egyptischen Sudan 14: Katla. Zeitschrift für Kolonialsprachen VII. 212-235. p.223