Koyra Chiini
Songhai
Koyra Chiini ("city Songhai", or "Western Songhai") is the Songhai language of the Timbuktu region in Mali, spoken by ~200,000-220,000 people along the Niger River bend. The Songhai family (Koyra Chiini khq, Koyraboro Senni ses, Zarma, Tasawaq, Tagdal — 5 main varieties) shows extensive internal variation reflecting the legacy of the Songhai Empire (15th-16th c.) and its subsequent fragmentation. Koyra Chiini is the western branch, distinct from the eastern Koyraboro Senni (Gao) and Zarma (Niamey). Linguistically, Koyra Chiini has SOV constituent order, classifier-noun constructions, and an elaborate Songhai grain-trade vocabulary reflecting the historical Niger River commerce.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Koyra Chiini
Water
hari
/hari/
Fire
nuune
/nuːne/
Sun
wari
/wari/
Moon
handu
/handu/
Mother
nya
/ɲa/
Father
baaba
/baːba/
Eat
ŋwa
/ŋwa/
Drink
hane
/hane/
Love
baŋa
/baŋa/
Heart
bine
/bine/
Tree
tuuri
/tuːri/
House
huu
/huː/
Dog
hansi
/hansi/
Cat
muusu
/muːsu/
Hand
kambe
/kambe/
Eye
mo
/mo/
Hello
fofo
/fofo/
Thank you
barka
/barka/
One
afo
/afo/
Good
boori
/boːri/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Songhai languages
| Meaning | Koyra Chiini | Koyraboro Senni | Zarma | Fula | Soninke | Aari | Bishnupriya Manipuri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | hari /hari/ | hari /hari/ | hari /hari/ | ndiyam /ndijam/ | jiyi /dʒiji/ | waki /waki/ | পানি /paːni/ |
| Fire | nuune /nuːne/ | nuune /nuːne/ | danji /dandʒi/ | yiite /jiːte/ | ñaaxe /ɲaːxe/ | mola /mola/ | আগুন /aːɡun/ |
| Sun | wari /wari/ | wayna /wajna/ | wayna /wajna/ | naange /naːŋɡe/ | kiye /kije/ | saba /saba/ | বিল /bil/ |
| Moon | handu /handu/ | handu /handu/ | handu /handu/ | lewru /lewɾu/ | kullu /kulːu/ | ama /ama/ | জুনাক /dʒunak/ |
| Mother | nya /ɲa/ | nya /ɲa/ | ñaa /ɲaː/ | yumma /jumːa/ | ma /ma/ | inde /inde/ | মা /maː/ |
| Father | baaba /baːba/ | baaba /baːba/ | baba /baba/ | baaba /baːba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | বাবা /baːba/ |
| Eat | ŋwa /ŋwa/ | ŋwa /ŋwa/ | ŋwa /ŋwa/ | ñaamde /ɲaːmde/ | lawu /lawu/ | itte /itːe/ | খাব /kʰaːb/ |
| Drink | hane /hane/ | hane /hane/ | hañu /haɲu/ | yarude /jaɾude/ | mini /mini/ | ushe /uʃe/ | পান কর /paːn kaɾ/ |
| Love | baŋa /baŋa/ | baŋa /baŋa/ | baa /baː/ | yiɗde /jiɗːe/ | ñaxando /ɲaxando/ | gaya /ɡaja/ | মায়া /maja/ |
| Heart | bine /bine/ | bine /bine/ | bina /bina/ | ɓernde /ɓeɾnde/ | nene /nene/ | lubba /lubːa/ | মন /mon/ |
| Tree | tuuri /tuːri/ | tuuri /tuːri/ | tuuri /tuːri/ | lekki /lekːi/ | yiribirinde /jiɾibiɾinde/ | miza /miza/ | গাছ /ɡaːtʃʰ/ |
| House | huu /huː/ | huu /huː/ | fu /fu/ | suudu /suːdu/ | ka /ka/ | kara /kara/ | ঘর /ɡʱaɾ/ |
| Dog | hansi /hansi/ | hansi /hansi/ | hansi /hansi/ | rawandu /ɾawandu/ | wulle /wulːe/ | kana /kana/ | কুট্টা /kuʈːaː/ |
| Cat | muusu /muːsu/ | muusu /muːsu/ | muusu /muːsu/ | ullundu /ulːundu/ | mussu /musːu/ | shanɡo /ʃaŋɡo/ | বিল্লি /bilːi/ |
| Hand | kambe /kambe/ | kambe /kambe/ | kambe /kambe/ | junngo /dʒuŋːɡo/ | kitte /kitːe/ | kushum /kuʃum/ | হাত /haːt/ |
| Eye | mo /mo/ | mo /mo/ | mo /mo/ | yiitere /jiːteɾe/ | ñaa /ɲaː/ | aafo /aːfo/ | চোখ /tʃokʰ/ |
| Hello | fofo /fofo/ | fofo /fofo/ | fofo /fofo/ | jam tan /dʒam tan/ | an na siri /an na siɾi/ | saro /saro/ | নমস্কার /nomoskar/ |
| Thank you | barka /barka/ | barka /barka/ | fofo /fofo/ | a jaaraama /a dʒaːɾaːma/ | inkawu /iŋkawu/ | galatoma /ɡalatoma/ | ধইন্যবাদ /dʱoinjobaːd/ |
| One | afo /afo/ | afo /afo/ | affo /afːo/ | go'o /ɡoʔo/ | baane /baːne/ | kollo /kolːo/ | এক /ek/ |
| Good | boori /boːri/ | boori /boːri/ | boori /boːri/ | moƴƴo /moƴːo/ | ñaxa /ɲaxa/ | goodi /ɡoːdi/ | ভালা /bʱaːlaː/ |
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