Proto-Bantu
Proto-language (reconstructed) · historical / hidden variety
Proto-Bantu is the reconstructed ancestor of the Bantu languages — some 500 closely related languages of central, eastern and southern Africa (Swahili, Zulu, Kikongo and many others). It is placed in the Cameroon–Nigeria borderland around 3000–2000 BCE, before the Bantu expansion across the continent. Roots are cited as bound stems (with a leading hyphen).
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Proto-Bantu
Water
*-jíjì
/-jíjì/
Fire
*-dído
/-dído/
Sun
*-júbà
/-júbà/
Moon
*-jèdì
/-jèdì/
Star
—
/—/
Mother
*-nyìná
/-nyìná/
Father
*-íce
/-íce/
I
—
/—/
You
—
/—/
Name
*-jína
/-jína/
Eye
*-jícò
/-jícò/
Hand
*-bókò
/-bókò/
Heart
*-tíma
/-tíma/
Love
—
/—/
Tree
*-tí
/-tí/
House
*-jʊ̀
/-jʊ̀/
Dog
*-bʊ́à
/-bʊ́à/
Cat
—
/—/
Eat
*-dɪ́a
/-dɪ́a/
Drink
*-nyʊ̀
/-nyʊ̀/
One
*-mò
/-mò/
Two
*-bɪ̀dɪ̀
/-bɪ̀dɪ̀/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
—
/—/
Sources
- Bastin et al., Bantu Lexical Reconstructions 3 (BLR3)
- Nurse & Philippson (2003) The Bantu Languages
Words compared
Compared with related Proto-language (reconstructed) languages
| Meaning | Proto-Bantu | Hattic | Iberian | Goguryeo | Nicaraguan Sign Language | Meroitic | Proto-Japonic-Koreanic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | *-jíjì /-jíjì/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 買 /*mai/ | — /—/ | 𐦠𐦶 /ato/ | — /—/ |
| Fire | *-dído /-dído/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Sun | *-júbà /-júbà/ | eštan /ɛʃtan/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𐦨𐦯 /ˈmasa/ | — /—/ |
| Moon | *-jèdì /-jèdì/ | kāp /kaːp/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Star | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Mother | *-nyìná /-nyìná/ | ana /ana/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | *əma /əma/ |
| Father | *-íce /-íce/ | pap /pap/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | *əpa /əpa/ |
| I | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| You | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Name | *-jína /-jína/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eye | *-jícò /-jícò/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | *-bókò /-bókò/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | *-tíma /-tíma/ | pina /pina/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | *-tí /-tí/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| House | *-jʊ̀ /-jʊ̀/ | wel /wɛl/ | iltiŕ /iltir̥/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | *-bʊ́à /-bʊ́à/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | *-dɪ́a /-dɪ́a/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | *-nyʊ̀ /-nyʊ̀/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | *-mò /-mò/ | — /—/ | ban /ban/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Two | *-bɪ̀dɪ̀ /-bɪ̀dɪ̀/ | — /—/ | bi /bi/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
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