ⲛⲟⲩⲃⲓⲁ ⲡⲁⲡⲁⲗⲁ
Old Nubian
Nilo-Saharan (Eastern Sudanic) · historical / hidden variety
Old Nubian was the literary language of the Christian Nubian kingdoms of Makuria and Alodia (8-15c.). Well-attested via translations of the Bible, liturgical texts, and legal documents discovered at sites like Qasr Ibrim and Old Dongola. The script is based on Coptic with three additional letters for Nubian sounds. Modern Nobiin and Mahas-Fadicca are direct descendants.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Old Nubian
Water
ⲁⲙⲁⲛ
/aman/
Fire
ⲓⲕ
/ik/
Sun
ⲙⲁⲥⲁⲗ
/masal/
Moon
ⲟⲩⲣⲟⲛ
/uron/
Star
ⲱⲓⲥⲥⲓ
/wisːi/
Mother
ⲉⲛ
/en/
Father
ⲁⲃ
/ab/
I
ⲁⲓ
/ai/
You
ⲓⲣ
/ir/
Name
ⲉⲣⲉⲛ
/eren/
Eye
ⲙⲁⳡ
/maɲ/
Hand
ⲉⲓ
/ei/
Heart
ⲉⲓⲡ
/eip/
Love
ⲇⲟⲩⲗⲗ
/dull/
Tree
ⲕⲟ
/ko/
House
ⲇⲟⲩⲗ
/dul/
Dog
ⲡⲱⲗ
/poːl/
Cat
—
/—/
Eat
ⲕⲁⲃ
/kab/
Drink
ϫⲓ
/dʒi/
One
ⲱⲉⲣ
/wer/
Two
ⲟⲩⲱⲟ
/uwːo/
Hello
ⲉⲓⲗⲗⲉ
/ille/
Thank you
ⲡⲓⲥⲧⲁ
/pista/
Good
ⲇⲱⲗⲗⲉ
/dolle/
Words compared
Compared with related Nilo-Saharan (Eastern Sudanic) languages
| Meaning | Old Nubian | Toraja-Sa'dan | Proto-Austronesian | Ngaju | Fijian | Sasak | Isthmus Nahuatl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ⲁⲙⲁⲛ /aman/ | uai /uai/ | *daNum /daNum/ | danum /danum/ | wai /wai/ | aiq /aiʔ/ | ahtli /aʔtli/ |
| Fire | ⲓⲕ /ik/ | api /api/ | *Sapuy /Sapuy/ | apui /apui/ | buka /mbuka/ | api /api/ | tit /tit/ |
| Sun | ⲙⲁⲥⲁⲗ /masal/ | mata allo /mataʔalːo/ | *waRi /waRi/ | matanandau /matanandau/ | matanisiga /matanisiŋa/ | mataari /mataari/ | tonal /tonal/ |
| Moon | ⲟⲩⲣⲟⲛ /uron/ | bulan /bulan/ | *bulaN /bulaN/ | bulan /bulan/ | vula /βula/ | bulan /bulan/ | metz /mets/ |
| Star | ⲱⲓⲥⲥⲓ /wisːi/ | bintoen /bintɔɛn/ | *bituqen /bituqen/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | kalokalo /kalokalo/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | sitlalin /siˈtlalin/ |
| Mother | ⲉⲛ /en/ | indo /indo/ | *ina /ina/ | indu /indu/ | tina /tina/ | inaq /inaʔ/ | nan /nan/ |
| Father | ⲁⲃ /ab/ | ambe /ambe/ | *ama /ama/ | bapa /bapa/ | tama /tama/ | amaq /amaʔ/ | tat /tat/ |
| I | ⲁⲓ /ai/ | aku /aku/ | *aku /aku/ | aku /aku/ | au /au/ | aku /aku/ | naja /ˈnaha/ |
| You | ⲓⲣ /ir/ | iko /iko/ | *iSu /iSu/ | ikau /ikau/ | iko /iko/ | side /sidə/ | taja /ˈtaha/ |
| Name | ⲉⲣⲉⲛ /eren/ | sanga /saŋa/ | *ŋajan /ŋajan/ | aran /aran/ | yaca /jaða/ | aran /aran/ | tocayotl /tokaˈjotɬ/ |
| Eye | ⲙⲁⳡ /maɲ/ | mata /mata/ | *maCa /maCa/ | mate /mate/ | mata /mata/ | mate /mate/ | ix /iʃ/ |
| Hand | ⲉⲓ /ei/ | lima /lima/ | *lima /lima/ | lengen /ləŋən/ | liga /liŋa/ | ime /ime/ | mahuit /mawit/ |
| Heart | ⲉⲓⲡ /eip/ | penaa /penaː/ | *pusuq /pusuq/ | atei /atei/ | uto /uto/ | ate /ate/ | yolio /jolio/ |
| Love | ⲇⲟⲩⲗⲗ /dull/ | ma'pa'iya /maʔpaʔija/ | — /—/ | sinta /sinta/ | loloma /loloma/ | tresne /tresne/ | nequi /neki/ |
| Tree | ⲕⲟ /ko/ | kayu /kaju/ | *kaSiw /kaSiw/ | kayu /kaju/ | kau /kau/ | lolon kayu /lolon kaju/ | cuahuit /kʷawit/ |
| House | ⲇⲟⲩⲗ /dul/ | banua /banua/ | *Rumaq /Rumaq/ | huma /huma/ | vale /βale/ | bale /bale/ | cali /kali/ |
| Dog | ⲡⲱⲗ /poːl/ | asu /asu/ | *asu /asu/ | asu /asu/ | koli /koli/ | aco /atʃo/ | itzcuintli /itskʷintli/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | serre /serːe/ | — /—/ | posa /posa/ | pusi /pusi/ | meong /meoŋ/ | miston /miston/ |
| Eat | ⲕⲁⲃ /kab/ | kumande /kumande/ | *kaen /kaen/ | kuman /kuman/ | kana /kana/ | mangan /maŋan/ | tacua /takʷa/ |
| Drink | ϫⲓ /dʒi/ | ma'iru /maʔiru/ | *inum /inum/ | mihop /mihop/ | gunu /ŋunu/ | nginem /ŋinəm/ | ati /ati/ |
| One | ⲱⲉⲣ /wer/ | mesa /mesa/ | *isa /isa/ | ije /ije/ | dua /ndua/ | esa /esa/ | ce /se/ |
| Two | ⲟⲩⲱⲟ /uwːo/ | dua /dua/ | *duSa /duSa/ | due /ˈdue/ | rua /rua/ | due /duə/ | ome /ˈome/ |
| Hello | ⲉⲓⲗⲗⲉ /ille/ | tabe /tabe/ | — /—/ | tabea /tabea/ | bula /mbula/ | salam /salam/ | niltze /niltse/ |
| Thank you | ⲡⲓⲥⲧⲁ /pista/ | kurre sumanga' /kurːe sumaŋaʔ/ | — /—/ | sahindai /sahindai/ | vinaka /βinaka/ | tampi asih /tampi asih/ | tlazohcamati /tlasoʔkamati/ |
| Good | ⲇⲱⲗⲗⲉ /dolle/ | melo /melo/ | — /—/ | bahalap /bahalap/ | vinaka /βinaka/ | solah /solah/ | cualli /kʷalːi/ |
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