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
20 core words in Zarma
Water
hari
/hari/
Fire
danji
/dandʒi/
Sun
wayna
/wajna/
Moon
handu
/handu/
Mother
ñaa
/ɲaː/
Father
baba
/baba/
Eat
ŋwa
/ŋwa/
Drink
hañu
/haɲu/
Love
baa
/baː/
Heart
bina
/bina/
Tree
tuuri
/tuːri/
House
fu
/fu/
Dog
hansi
/hansi/
Cat
muusu
/muːsu/
Hand
kambe
/kambe/
Eye
mo
/mo/
Hello
fofo
/fofo/
Thank you
fofo
/fofo/
One
affo
/afːo/
Good
boori
/boːri/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Songhai (Southern) languages
| Meaning | Zarma | Koyraboro Senni | Koyra Chiini | Aari | Tuvaluan | Bagri | Samoan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | hari /hari/ | hari /hari/ | hari /hari/ | waki /waki/ | vai /vai/ | पाणी /paːɳiː/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | danji /dandʒi/ | nuune /nuːne/ | nuune /nuːne/ | mola /mola/ | afi /afi/ | आग /aːɡ/ | afi /afi/ |
| Sun | wayna /wajna/ | wayna /wajna/ | wari /wari/ | saba /saba/ | laa /laː/ | सूरज /suːraj/ | lā /laː/ |
| Moon | handu /handu/ | handu /handu/ | handu /handu/ | ama /ama/ | masina /masina/ | चंदो /tʃando/ | māsina /maːsina/ |
| Mother | ñaa /ɲaː/ | nya /ɲa/ | nya /ɲa/ | inde /inde/ | maatua /maːtua/ | माय /maːj/ | tinā /tinaː/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | baaba /baːba/ | baaba /baːba/ | baba /baba/ | tamana /tamana/ | बाप /baːp/ | tamā /tamaː/ |
| Eat | ŋwa /ŋwa/ | ŋwa /ŋwa/ | ŋwa /ŋwa/ | itte /itːe/ | kai /kai/ | खावणो /kʰaːʋɳo/ | ʻai /ʔai/ |
| Drink | hañu /haɲu/ | hane /hane/ | hane /hane/ | ushe /uʃe/ | inu /inu/ | पीवणो /piːʋɳo/ | inu /inu/ |
| Love | baa /baː/ | baŋa /baŋa/ | baŋa /baŋa/ | gaya /ɡaja/ | alofa /alofa/ | मया /məjaː/ | alofa /alofa/ |
| Heart | bina /bina/ | bine /bine/ | bine /bine/ | lubba /lubːa/ | fatu /fatu/ | हिवड़ो /hivəɽo/ | loto /loto/ |
| Tree | tuuri /tuːri/ | tuuri /tuːri/ | tuuri /tuːri/ | miza /miza/ | laakau /laːkau/ | रूख /ɾuːkʰ/ | laʻau /laʔau/ |
| House | fu /fu/ | huu /huː/ | huu /huː/ | kara /kara/ | fale /fale/ | घर /ɡʱar/ | fale /fale/ |
| Dog | hansi /hansi/ | hansi /hansi/ | hansi /hansi/ | kana /kana/ | kuli /kuli/ | कुत्तो /kutːo/ | maile /maile/ |
| Cat | muusu /muːsu/ | muusu /muːsu/ | muusu /muːsu/ | shanɡo /ʃaŋɡo/ | pusi /pusi/ | मीनी /miːniː/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Hand | kambe /kambe/ | kambe /kambe/ | kambe /kambe/ | kushum /kuʃum/ | lima /lima/ | हाथ /haːtʰ/ | lima /lima/ |
| Eye | mo /mo/ | mo /mo/ | mo /mo/ | aafo /aːfo/ | mata /mata/ | आंख /aːŋkʰ/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | fofo /fofo/ | fofo /fofo/ | fofo /fofo/ | saro /saro/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | खम्मा घणी /kʰəmːaː ɡʱəɳiː/ | talofa /talofa/ |
| Thank you | fofo /fofo/ | barka /barka/ | barka /barka/ | galatoma /ɡalatoma/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | धन्यवाद /dʱanjabaːd/ | faʻafetai /faʔafetai/ |
| One | affo /afːo/ | afo /afo/ | afo /afo/ | kollo /kolːo/ | tasi /tasi/ | एक /eːk/ | tasi /tasi/ |
| Good | boori /boːri/ | boori /boːri/ | boori /boːri/ | goodi /ɡoːdi/ | lei /lei/ | चोखो /tʃoːkʰo/ | lelei /lelei/ |
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