Zarmaciine
Zarma
Songhai (Southern)
Zarma (Zarmaciine) is the largest Songhai variety by speaker count, native to the Niger River valley around Niamey. It is one of the national languages of Niger, where it is the L1 of the Zarma-Songhai people. Songhai is genealogically isolated within Africa (sometimes Nilo-Saharan, sometimes treated as an independent family); Zarma differs from Eastern Songhai (Koyraboro Senni, ses) primarily in phonology and lexicon.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Zarma
Water
hari
/hari/
Fire
danji
/dandʒi/
Sun
wayna
/wajna/
Moon
handu
/handu/
Star
handariya
/handaːɾija/
Mother
ñaa
/ɲaː/
Father
baba
/baba/
I
ay
/aj/
You
ni
/ni/
Name
maa
/maː/
Eye
mo
/mo/
Hand
kambe
/kambe/
Heart
bina
/bina/
Love
baa
/baː/
Tree
tuuri
/tuːri/
House
fu
/fu/
Dog
hansi
/hansi/
Cat
muusu
/muːsu/
Eat
ŋwa
/ŋwa/
Drink
hañu
/haɲu/
One
affo
/afːo/
Two
ihinka
/ihiŋka/
Hello
fofo
/fofo/
Thank you
fofo
/fofo/
Good
boori
/boːri/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Songhai (Southern) languages
| Meaning | Zarma | Koyraboro Senni | Koyra Chiini | Aari | Bishnupriya Manipuri | Hiri Motu | Motu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | hari /hari/ | hari /hari/ | hari /hari/ | waki /waki/ | পানি /paːni/ | ranu /ɾanu/ | ranu /ɾanu/ |
| Fire | danji /dandʒi/ | nuune /nuːne/ | nuune /nuːne/ | mola /mola/ | আগুন /aːɡun/ | lahi /lahi/ | lahi /lahi/ |
| Sun | wayna /wajna/ | wayna /wajna/ | wari /wari/ | háy /haj/ | বেল /bel/ | dina /dina/ | dina /dina/ |
| Moon | handu /handu/ | handu /handu/ | handu /handu/ | arfi /arfi/ | জুনাক /dʒunak/ | hua /hua/ | hua /hua/ |
| Star | handariya /handaːɾija/ | handariya /handaːɾija/ | handariya /handaːɾija/ | manka /ˈmanka/ | তারা /taɾa/ | hisiu /hisiu/ | hisiu /hisiu/ |
| Mother | ñaa /ɲaː/ | nya /ɲa/ | nya /ɲa/ | inde /inde/ | মা /maː/ | sina /sina/ | sinana /sinana/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | baaba /baːba/ | baaba /baːba/ | baba /baba/ | বাবা /baːba/ | tama /tama/ | tamana /tamana/ |
| I | ay /aj/ | ay /aj/ | ay /aj/ | ita /ʔiˈta/ | মি /mi/ | lau /lau/ | lau /lau/ |
| You | ni /ni/ | ni /ni/ | ni /ni/ | ahna /ahˈna/ | তি /ti/ | oi /oi/ | oi /oi/ |
| Name | maa /maː/ | maa /maː/ | maa /maː/ | naami /naːˈmi/ | নাম /nam/ | ladana /laˈdana/ | ladana /ladana/ |
| Eye | mo /mo/ | mo /mo/ | mo /mo/ | aafi /aːfi/ | চোখ /tʃokʰ/ | matana /matana/ | matana /matana/ |
| Hand | kambe /kambe/ | kambe /kambe/ | kambe /kambe/ | kushum /kuʃum/ | হাত /haːt/ | ima /ima/ | ima /ima/ |
| Heart | bina /bina/ | bine /bine/ | bine /bine/ | lubba /lubːa/ | মন /mon/ | kudouna /kudouna/ | kudouna /kudouna/ |
| Love | baa /baː/ | baŋa /baŋa/ | baŋa /baŋa/ | gaya /ɡaja/ | মায়া /maja/ | lalokau /lalokau/ | lalokau /lalokau/ |
| Tree | tuuri /tuːri/ | tuuri /tuːri/ | tuuri /tuːri/ | miza /miza/ | গাছ /ɡaːtʃʰ/ | au /au/ | au /au/ |
| House | fu /fu/ | huu /huː/ | huu /huː/ | kara /kara/ | ঘর /ɡʱaɾ/ | ruma /ɾuma/ | ruma /ɾuma/ |
| Dog | hansi /hansi/ | hansi /hansi/ | hansi /hansi/ | kana /kana/ | কুট্টা /kuʈːaː/ | sisia /sisia/ | sisia /sisia/ |
| Cat | muusu /muːsu/ | muusu /muːsu/ | muusu /muːsu/ | shanɡo /ʃaŋɡo/ | বিল্লি /bilːi/ | pusi /pusi/ | gosi /ɡosi/ |
| Eat | ŋwa /ŋwa/ | ŋwa /ŋwa/ | ŋwa /ŋwa/ | itte /itːe/ | খাব /kʰaːb/ | ania /ania/ | aniani /aniani/ |
| Drink | hañu /haɲu/ | hane /hane/ | hane /hane/ | ushe /uʃe/ | পান কর /paːn kaɾ/ | inua /inua/ | inuinu /inuinu/ |
| One | affo /afːo/ | afo /afo/ | afo /afo/ | kollo /kolːo/ | এক /ek/ | ta /ta/ | ta /ta/ |
| Two | ihinka /ihiŋka/ | ihinka /ihiŋka/ | ihinka /ihiŋka/ | qasken /qasˈken/ | দুই /dui/ | rua /rua/ | rua /rua/ |
| Hello | fofo /fofo/ | fofo /fofo/ | fofo /fofo/ | saro /saro/ | নমস্কার /nomoskar/ | namona /namona/ | namo gida /namo ɡida/ |
| Thank you | fofo /fofo/ | barka /barka/ | barka /barka/ | galatoma /ɡalatoma/ | ধইন্যবাদ /dʱoinjobaːd/ | tanikiu /tanikiu/ | oi namo /oi namo/ |
| Good | boori /boːri/ | boori /boːri/ | boori /boːri/ | goodi /ɡoːdi/ | ভালা /bʱaːlaː/ | namo /namo/ | namo /namo/ |
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