Margi (language)

The Margi , self-designation màrgyí , is a language spoken around the city of Isge (in Margi ə́zə̀gə̀), which is about 100 km south of Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria . The Margi belongs to the Chadian language family and there to the subgroup of the Biu-Mandara languages. Although the language forms a member of the Afro-Asian language family, it only shares a few grammatical features of this family. B. neither grammatical gender nor ablaut, which is why their affiliation was previously questioned. The genetic classification of Margi is mainly based on the lexicon.

Kilba is a language closely related to Margi .

According to the system

The Margi has a relatively large number of consonant phonemes:

	Labials	Dental	Sibilants	Lateral	anterior palatal	posterior palatals	Velare	Glottal
voiceless plosives	p	t	ts		c	ky	k	ʔ
voiced plosives	b	d	dz		j	gy	G
Implosive	ɓ	ɗ
voiceless fricatives	f		s	ɬ	š	xy	x
voiced fricatives	v		z	ɮ	ž	γy	γ
Nasals	m	n			ny		ŋ

Then there are l, r, w, y, ʔw, ʔy.

With many other Chadian languages, the Margi shares the presence of implosives and lateral fricatives.

According to Hoffmann (see "Literature"), a distinction must be made between a purely vowel initial sound and an initial sound with ʔ + vowel.

Consonant clusters

Numerous consonant connections can appear at the beginning of a word. Some or all of these groups could be considered as separate phonemes. In particular, the following connections occur:

Consonant + w:

• gwà "enter"
• mwál "friend"
• ŋwà "face"

Nasal + consonant:

• mbà "bind"
• mtə̀ "die"
• ŋgyə̀ "burn"
• mcìr "nose"
• mɬàgə̀ "Lord, Owner"
• mnyà "mouth"
• ŋkwà "girl"

Labial + consonant:

• bdàgə̀ "valley"
• bzə́r "child"
• ptə́l "king, chief"
• pcə̀ "wash"

Vowels

The Margi distinguishes between four vowels: a, i, u, ə.

E and o also occur less often and especially in foreign words.

The phoneme u sounds like palatals like ü.

volume

The Margi is a tonal language with two registers: high (á) and low (à). There is also a low-high-rising tone (ǎ). In many cases, vocabulary only differ in tone, e.g. B .:

• fá "year" - fà "farm"
• sá "get lost" - sà "drink"

Contextual form

In certain cases, the pronunciation of a word changes as soon as it is followed by another word in the sentence context :

(1) -ə after the palatal vowel becomes indistinguishable from -i in the context:

• cə́ "to speak", in the context cí
• ŋkyə̀ "pay", in the context ŋkyì
• ʔyə̀ "do", in the context ʔì

(2) The final -i falls off in some of the words in the context. This applies in particular to the -árì suffix of the specific article (in the -ár context).

Personal pronouns

The personal pronouns of Margi know no gender difference, especially not in the 3rd person singular according to the German "er" vs. "she". There are three different forms that correspond to our 1st person plural. In the 1st person singular there is a significant difference between the isolated and the contextual form.

A distinction is made between independent personal pronouns and two series of suffixes.

	independent	Suffix 1	Suffix 2
1st sg. "I", isolated	nàyə̀	-yə́	-ɗà
1st sg. "I", context form	nì	-í	-ɗà
2.sg. "you"	nàgə̀	-gə̀ ~ -gə́	-ŋə̀ ~ -ŋə́
3.sg. "he she"	nàjà	-Yes	-nyì ~ nyí
1.pl. "I + you"	nàmà	-mà ~ -má	-mà
1.pl. "I + you"	nàmə̀r	-mə̀r ~ -mə́r	-mə̀r
1.pl. "me + others"	nàʔyà	-ʔyà ~ ʔyá	-ʔyà
2.pl. "her"	nànyì	-nyì ~ -nyí	-nyì
3.pl. "she"	nàndà	-ndà ~ -ndá	-ndà

Independent pronouns

The independent pronouns are used in isolation or as a subject.

Suffixes 1

Series 1 suffixes are used:

(1) in certain cases as a possessive suffix, see below.

(2) as a postposed subject. In this case the suffixes have polar tone (high after the preceding low tone, low after the preceding high tone), only the suffixes of the 1st sg. and 3rd sg. are generally high-pitched.

(3) after conjunctions like də́ "and that", kə̀ (subjunctive), mà "if". After kə̀ and mà, no treble can be observed, not even with the suffixes of the 1st sg. and 3rd sg .:

• d-í "and me"
• də́-gə̀ "and you"
• də́-já "and he / she"
• ky- "that I"
• kə̀-g- "that you"
• kə̀-j- "that he / she"
• mì "if I"
• mà-gə̀ "if you"
• mà-jà "if he"

Suffixes 2

Series 2 suffixes are used:

(1) in certain cases as a possessive suffix, see below.

(2) as object suffixes on the verb.

noun

There is no grammatical gender.

Plural

A handful of nouns have real, highly irregular plural forms, including:

• mdə̀ "human" - mjì "people"
• sál "man" - šílí "men"
• màlà "woman" - màxyìɗì "women"
• bzə́r "child, son" - ŋúšá "children"

Other nouns can take a plural suffix -ʔyàr:

• ndə̀r "word" - ndə̀rʔyàr "words"
• fá "year" - fáʔyàr "years"

However, this suffix is ​​optional and is not used in all cases where a plural is meant.

The plural suffix comes after adjectives and possessive suffixes:

ŋwám-ɗá-ʔyàr
sister-my-PLURAL
"my sisters"

adjective

The adjective follows its reference word:

• bzə́r kùšù "child small", ie "a small child"
• kákádə̀ bə̀lìn "new book", ie "a new book"

The adjective can take the plural ending -ʔyàr, but it can also be reduplicated to indicate a plural meaning:

• kákádə̀ bə̀lìnbə̀lìn "new books"

Demonstrative

Demonstratives are placed after the noun:

• mdə̀ kə̀ "this person"
• mdə̀ tà "that person"

Definite article

The definite article consists of a suffix -árì (in the context -ár), which is added to the noun or, if this is followed by an attribute, to the attribute. The article is contracted with a final vowel. Examples:

• wù "tree" - wǎrì "the tree"
• mə̀lmə̀ "village" - mə̀lmárì "the village"
• màlà "woman" - màlárì "the woman"
• cédè "money" - céděrì "the money"
• sál "man" - sálárì "the man"
• ʔímí "water" - ʔímyárì "the water"
• ndə̀r "word" - ndə̀rárì "the word"
• kú "goat" - kwárì "the goat"

The article is not used in all cases where a certain article would appear in German. Details about the function are not known.

Possession

Overview

In any case, the possessum comes first and then the possessor. The exact construction depends on the special nature of the possession. There is basically no marking of the possessor, in accordance with the German genitive.

There are four different types of content-related possession. The means of expression are different depending on whether the possessessor is nominal, pronominal singular or pronominal plural. The following table contains an example for each of the resulting combinations:

	without possessor	+ nominal possessor	+ pronominal possessor in the singular	+ pronominal possessor in the plural
inalienable, body part	kə́r "head"	kə́r-á mdə̀ "the head of the person"	kə́r-á-jà "be (sg.) head"	kə́r-á-ndà "their (pl.) head; their heads"
inalienabel, personal designation		də́-ny-á mdə̀ "the father of man"	də́-nyí "his father"	də́-r-ndà "her father"
Possession of an item	ə́ntə̀m "pot"	ə́ntə̀m gə́ mdə̀ "man's pot"	ə́ntə̀m gə́-ndà "his pot"	ə́ntə̀m-ə̀r-ndà "your pot"
abstract possession	šíší "hair"	šíší-r mdə̀ "human hair "

Some cells in the table remain empty: terms like də́- "father" are never used without a possessor; the abstract possession rarely occurs with the pronominal possessor.

Inalienable Possession, body part

Inalienable possession is initially the possession of body parts. In this case, the suffix -á is added to the possessum. The construction is therefore possessum + -á + possessor. The possessessor takes the form of either a noun or a possessive suffix of series 1 (see above). There are some trivial stem changes before the -á suffix. The possessive suffix generally has a low tone, only in the 1st sg. and 3rd sg. it has a conditional high tone: The high tone is only realized in the context form, i.e. if another word follows, otherwise the low tone also applies here. Examples:

• kə́r "head" - kə́rá-yə̀ (context form kə́rá-yí) "my head" - kə́rá-gə̀ "your head" - kə́rá-jà (context form kə́rá-já) "his / her head" - kə́rá-ndà "their heads" - kə́rá bzə́r "the boy's head"
• lì "eye" - lyá-yə̀ "my eye" - lyá Mádə̀ "the eye of maggot (name)"
• ɗàxə̀ "voice" - ɗàxá-yə̀ "my voice" - ɗàxá ŋkwà "the voice of the girl"
• ŋwà "face" - ŋwá-yə̀ "my face"

Aside from owning body parts, this possessive construction can also be used in a few other cases, such as:

• kàdzàŋ-á-jà "his truth", ie: "he is right"
• ʔódìkùr-á-ndà "their multiplicity", ie: "many of them", "most of them"

Inalienable Possession, personal designation

The possession with kinship terms such as "father" or "mother" can also be regarded as inalienable, but is given a different grammatical name. A suffix from series 2 appears as the possessive suffix in this case. The suffixes of the plural cannot appear directly after the noun, but are conveyed by an element -r-. The tone of the possessive suffix is ​​usually low, but sometimes also high in the singular.

As with the possession of body parts, the nominal possessor requires a suffix -á on the possessum, but this must also contain a third person possessive suffix.

• də́-ɗá "my father" - də́-ŋə́ ~ də́-ŋ "your father" - də́-nyí "his father" - də́-r-ndà "her (pl.) father" - də́-ny-á Xámàn "the Father of Haman (name) ", literally:" his father (that of) Haman ". The stem də́- "father" is never used without a suffix.

The word mwál "friend" is also treated like a kinship term in this regard:

• mwál-ɗà "my friend" - mwál-ŋə̀ ~ mwálə́ŋ̀ "your friend" - mwál-nyì "his friend" - mwál-ə́r-ndà "her (pl.) friend"

Possession of objects

When possessing objects, including children, the particle gə́ is placed between the possessum and the nominal possessor:

• tágú gə́ Xámàn "the horse of Haman (name)"
• bzə́r gə́ Xámàn "the son of Haman"

The construction with pronominal possessor is a bit complicated. If this is plural, then there is the same element -r- which is also used in the possession of kinship terms. If the pronominal possessor is singular, then it stands g steht́-, but then a form of the suffix must be used, which normally denotes the plural: the forms are therefore gýyà "my", gə́nyì "your", gə́ndà "be, you". Alternatively, "my" can be replaced by the suffix 1.sg. of series 2 can be expressed:

• kú gə́-yà or kú-ɗà "my goat" - kú gə́-nyì "your goat" - kú gə́-ndà "his goat" - kú-r-nyì "your goat" - kú-r-ndà "their (pl .) Goat "

Abstract possession relationship

A possession relationship in a more abstract sense is expressed by adding an ending -r to the possession:

• ʔímí-r sà "water of drinking" = "drinking water"
• látə́-r yàmáɗə́ "time of the cold" = "cold time"
• ə́ntə̀m-ə̀r mə̀mə̀ "pot of honey" = "a pot of honey"
• mdə̀-r màrgyí "Man of Margi" = "a Margi person, a Margi"

A variant with a pronominal possessor rarely occurs here for reasons of content.

Special cases

The word tə́kə́m "all" can be followed immediately by a noun or a suffix:

• tə́kə́m-ndà "all of them"
• tə́kə́m mjì "all of the people" = "all the people"

ɬə́m "Name" is treated like a kinship term before the pronominal possessor, before the nominal possessor there is -r:

• ɬə́m-ə́ŋ "your name"
• ɬə́m-ə́r sál kə́ "the name of this man"

verb

Tone classes

Verbs can only have three tones: consistently low, consistently high, or ascending. Examples of verbs with one, two and three syllables in each of the three tone classes can be found in the following table.

	monosyllabic	two-syllable	three-syllable
deep	sà "drink"	sə̀nì "know	ɬə̀ɮə̀ɓə̀ "learn"
high	sə́m "eat"	kə́ɓə́ "to meet sb."	lúkwáʔyá "solve"
increasing	və̌l "jump"	γànyí "to sleep"	ŋgùšíná "to laugh at"

In the form with a prefix explained below, most, but not all, of the low-pitched verbs are high-pitched; in this respect, the low-pitched verbs could be divided into two subclasses.

Verbal forms

The verbal stem of Margi is relatively unchangeable. In addition to the verbal stem, there is only the mentioned form with a prefix, which in some verbs brings about changes in the tone of the stem. Otherwise the different tenses are formed exclusively by preceding or following particles.

infinitive

The pure stem has the function of an infinitive and can also be translated and constructed like a noun:

• mtə̀ "die; death"
• γyǐ "steal" - mdə̀-r γyǐ "man of stealing" = "thief"

Comparable to German or English, the infinitive is often combined with the preposition gà "zu":

nì àyí gà cíbá kákádə̀yàr kə̀
I want to count books this
"I want to count these books"

imperative

The pure stem also functions as the imperative of the singular. In the plural, an ending -amə̀ (also pronounced -am̀) is added:

• sə́m "eat!" - sə́mámə̀ "eat!"
• sà "drink!" - sàmə̀ "drink!"
• like "run!" - wyàmə̀ "run!"
• γànyí "sleep!" - γànyámə̀ "sleeps!"

If there is an object suffix, the plural ending only follows after it:

• skə̀-ɗà "wait for me!" - skə̀-ɗàmə̀ "waiting for me!"

Aorist

Combining the pure verbal stem with a subject suffix creates a tense called an "aorist". However, this is not productive and is mainly used in some fixed phrases:

• lə̀mà gə́ rá "where did you go?" (the verb lə̀mà means "where to go?", rá is a question particle)

Progressive

Functionally, the progressive corresponds roughly to the English present progressive or past progressive. It has the form subject + ə́və̀r + verbal stem:

• yàmáɗ ə́və̀r psə́ "the wind is blowing (straight)"

A pronominal subject can be expressed either as a preceding pronoun or as a subject suffix:

• ní və̀r wì ~ ə́və̀r wì yə́ "I'm running (straight)" (wì "running")
• nàg ə́və̀r wì ~ ə́və̀r wì gə́ "you're running (straight)"
• nàj ívə̀r wì ~ ə́və̀r wì já "he / she is running (currently)"

Narrative

The narrative is a narrative tense of the past. It has the form subject + gà + verb. The use of subject suffixes is not possible.

• nì gà wì "I ran"
• nì g ùlə̀ "I saw" (-a is expelled before u-)
• íšáɗə́ gà lì "the squirrel came out" (lì "come out")

Form with a prefix

Some tenses are not based on the basic stem, but on a form with a prefix. This form has no meaning in isolation. Their formation is as follows:

• All verbal stems with treble or pitch tone keep their tone. Some low-tone verbal stems also retain their tone, but most become high-pitched.
• The verbal stem is prefixed with a-. This has the opposite tone as the 1st syllable of the verbal stem, so it is low-tone before high-tone and high-tone before low-tone.
• When the verb starts vowel, the a- goes into the vowel, but its tone is retained.

Examples:

• sà "drink" → àsá (low-tone stem becomes high-tone, the prefix is ​​therefore low-tone)
• ɗə̀ŋà "think" → àɗə́ŋá (corresponding to a two-syllable verb)
• ùlə̀ "see" → ùlə́ (contracted from the expected * àúlə́)
• šìlí "to come" → ášìlí (ascending-tone verbs always keep their tone progression)
• máy "go" → àmáy (high-pitched verbs always keep their tone progression)
• wì "run" → áwì (this verb is one of those low-pitched verbs that keep their tone)
• ìndà "sit" → índà (contracted from * áìndà; this verb also retains its low tone)

Present

The present tense has the structure subject + verb form with a prefix. Alternatively, if the subject is pronominal, it can be expressed as a subject suffix:

• nì áwì ~ áwì yə́ "I run"
• n índà ~ índà yə́ "I'm sitting"

Future tense

A future tense is formed with the present tense of rà, originally a verb for "to go", followed by the verbal stem:

• nì àrá wì ~ àrá wì yə́ "I'll run"
• mjì àrá skə́-ndà "the people will wait for them (pl.)" (skə́ = "(he) wait")

Perfect

The perfect has the structure subject + verb form with a-prefix + suffix -rì (context form -r). Here, too, a subject suffix can alternatively be used, namely this then follows the suffix -r.

• nì áwì-rì ~ áwì-r yə́ "I ran"
• n índà-rì ~ índà-r yə́ "I was sitting"

The verb və̌l "skip" shows a fuller stem və̀lə́ in the perfect tense:

• nì ávə̀lə́-rì "I jumped"

Many verbs prefer not to form their perfect tense from the simple stem, but from a suffix extension. This is obviously to be compared with the pairs of aspects of Slavic languages, but would have to be examined more closely for the Margi. In addition to hə̀ "take", there is an extended stem hə̀rì with perfect connotation, for example "take away", and the perfect tense is preferably formed from this: nì àhə́rə́-rì "I have (taken away)".

Subjunctive

The subjunctive has the structural formula kə̀ + suffix pronoun + verb form with a prefix. It is in wishes, commands, final sentences, etc .:

• ky-áwì "I may run; that I run"
• kə̀-j-áwì "may he run; that he runs"
• nì àyə́ kə̀-m-àmáy "I want us to go"

prepositions

The Margi has prepositions that can be followed by either nouns or suffix pronouns. The individual prepositions differ in detail in how suffix pronouns are attached. In addition, there is usually a prepositional adverb for every preposition, which is used when referring to the inanimate, very similar to the German word "he" - "with him", but "es" - "thus".

Some common prepositions are:

• àgá "with, and" - àgá-yə́ "with me" - àgá-gə̀ "with you" - àgá-já "with him / her" - àgá-ndà "with them" - àgárì "with it"
• àrá "with" - àrá-yə̀ "with me" - àrá-gə̀ "with you" - àrá-jà "with him / her" - àrá-ndà "with you" - àdí "with you"
• ár "on" - ár-yə́ "on me" - ár-gə̀ "on you" - ár-já "on him / her" - ár-ndà "on them" - àdí "on"
• də́ "with, through" - də́-yə́ "through me" - də́-gə̀ "through you" - də́-já "through him / her" - də́-ndà "through her" - də́rí "through"
• ànə́ "to, for, (dative)" - ànə́-ɗà "me" - ànə́-ŋə̀ "dir" - ànə́-nyì "him / her" - ànə́-ndà "them"

syntax

Basic word order

The basic word order of Margi is subject - verb - object. The subject is either a noun or a pronoun. When the subject is pronominal, in many cases, depending on the tense of the verb, it can be denoted not only by a preceding subject pronoun, but also by a subject suffix following the verb. In cases where both a preceding subject pronoun and a subject suffix come into question, there is a subtle functional difference between the two constructions, which seems to have something to do with the logical weight of the individual clauses, but needs further investigation.

object

The object is behind the verb:

nì àʔí ɬə́r
I do work
"I work" (ʔyə̀ "do")

The pronominal object is denoted by a series 2 pronominal suffix. The tone of the suffix is ​​generally low. Only the suffixes of the 2nd sg. and 3rd sg. If the syllable in front of it also has a tweeter, get a conditional tweeter: The tweeter is only realized in the context form, i.e. if another word follows. Examples:

• nàj àŋá-ɗà "he calls me"
• nàj àŋá-ŋə̀ (or àŋáŋ̀) "he calls you"
• nàj àŋá-nyì "he calls him / her"

In the perfect tense, the object suffixes immediately follow the verbal stem:

• àŋá-ɗà-r já "he called me"
• àŋá-ŋə́-r já "he called me"
• àŋá-nyí-r já "he called him / her"

dative

The dative is always marked by the preposition ànə́. The pronominal dative is either denoted by ànə́ + suffix, or just by the simple object suffixes. In the latter case there is no difference between "me" and "me" etc .:

gə́r-ɗà ʔímí-r sà
get-me-water-drink
"get me drinking water!"

In the nominal dative case there is àn à́ + noun and often an object pronoun as well:

ná-ny kákádə̀ kə̀ ànə́ Fàlí
give-him book this to Fali
"give Fali (name) this book!"

Non-verbal sentence

Nouns, adjectives or adverbials can serve as a predicate without the need for a copula as in German:

nì kə́láŋ̀gá
I am sick
"I am sick"

ndə̀r kə̀ jìrì
word this true
"this word is true"

nàjà màlà gə́ ɬàmà
she wife of Lama
"she is the wife of Lama"

nàj ívə̀
he (nàjà) at home
"he is at home"

As in the verbal sentence, there is also the possibility here of expressing a pronominal subject using a subject suffix:

• ívə̀ já "he's at home"
• màrgyí-yə́ "I'm a Margi"
• màrgyí-gə̀ "you are a Margi"
• màrgyí-já "he is a Margi; she is a Margi"

negation

Most sentences can be negated by putting the negation mày "not" at the end of the sentence:

• nàj áwì "he's running" - nàj áwì mày "he's not running"
• nì àrá wì "I will run" - nì àrá wì mày "I will not run"
• ʔímí áʔì "there is water" (áʔì "there is") - ʔímí áʔì mày "there is no water"
• gə̀là gə́yà "my thought", ie: "I believe yes" - gə̀là gə́yà mày "I do not believe"

However, some tenses require a special form of negation. On the one hand, these are the narrative and the perfect, which form a common negative tense by means of the particles ndà :

• nì gà wì "I ran (narrative)" - nì áwìrì "I ran (perfect)" - nì ndà wì mày "I didn't run"
• nì ndà ŋábá mày "I didn't understand"

And on the other hand the imperative:

• like "run!" - sá gə̀ ská wì (mày) "that you don't run; so that you don't run; don't run!"

Questions

Sentence questions are marked by a particle yà at the end of the sentence:

ívə̀ já yà
at home he QUESTION
"is he home?"

Sentences with verbal questions usually have a particle rá at the end:

wà ɬə́m-ə́ŋ rá
who name-your QUESTION
"what 's your name ?"

úmwár dáwdà rá
wo Dawda QUESTION
"where is Dawda (name)?"

Relative constructions are often used for verbal questions, which cannot be explained in more detail here:

mì ŋə́ də́ nd àgú rá
what RELATIVE that you want QUESTION
"what is it that you want?" = "what do you want?"

vocabulary

Some elements from the basic vocabulary:

eye	lì
three	mákə̀r
one	páɬə́
eat	sə́m
woman	màlà
five	ntə̀fə̀
give	n / A
go	máy
big	də̀gàl
Well	mə́nágə̀
hand	tsí
Listen	n / A
man	sál
mouth	mnyà
Surname	ɬə́m
say	nə̀
see	ùlə̀
four	fwàɗə̀
water	ʔímí
knowledge	sə̀nì
two	mə̀ɬə̀

literature

• Carl Hoffmann 1963: A grammar of the Margi language, London

Remarks

1. ^ So by Hoffmann, A grammar of the Margi language, 1963, p. 13: "I can see no reason why at present Margi should be included into the Hamito-Semitic (or Afroasiatic) family."
2. ↑ Described by Mu'azu, Mohammed Aminu 2009: A grammar of the Kilba language.
3. ↑ The final -ə of this suffix is ​​not always spoken.
4. ↑ After the Palatal, ə becomes i.