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Kwʼadza language

{{Short description|East Rift language spoken in Tanzania}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Kwʼadza

|altname=Ngomvia

|states=Tanzania

|region=Mbulu

|extinct=1980s

|ref=e25

|familycolor=Afro-Asiatic

|fam1=Afro-Asiatic?

|fam2=Cushitic?

|fam3=South

|fam4=East

|iso3=wka

|linglist=wka.html

|glotto=kwad1248

|glottorefname=Kwʼadza

}}

Kwʼadza (Qwadza), or Ngomvia, is an extinct South Cushitic language formerly spoken in Tanzania in the Mbulu District. The last speaker died sometime between 1976 and 1999.

Classification

Kwʼadza is poorly attested, and apart from perhaps being close to Aasax, its classification is not certain. Although it has a large number of identifiably Cushitic roots, the non-Cushitic numerals itame 'one' and beʼa ~ mbɛa 'two' suggest a connection with Hadza, while haka 'four' suggests a connection with Sandawe. It is possible that Kwʼadza borrowed e.g. 'four' from Sandawe, but also that it was a non-Cushitic language whose speakers were undergoing language shift to Cushitic when it was recorded.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}

Phonology

The phonology is not certain, but the following has been suggested (Ehret 1980):

= Consonants =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
rowspan="2" colspan="2" |

! rowspan="2" | Labial

! rowspan="2" colspan="2" | Alveolar

! rowspan="2" | Post-
alveolar

! rowspan="2" | Palatal

! colspan="2" | Velar

! rowspan="2" | Glottal

{{small|plain}}

! {{small|labial}}

colspan="2" | Nasal

| {{IPAlink|m}}

| colspan="2" | {{IPAlink|n}}

|

| {{IPAlink|ɲ}}

| {{IPAlink|ŋ}}

|

|

rowspan="2" | Plosive

! {{small|voiceless}}

| {{IPAlink|p}}

| colspan="2" | {{IPAlink|t}}

|

|

| {{IPAlink|k}}

| {{IPAlink|kʷ}}

| {{IPAlink|ʔ}}

{{small|voiced}}

| {{IPAlink|b}}

| colspan="2" | {{IPAlink|d}}

|

|

| {{IPAlink|ɡ}}

| {{IPAlink|ɡʷ}}

|

colspan="2" | Affricate

|

| {{IPAlink|dz}}

|

|

|

|

|

|

colspan="2" | Ejective

|

| {{IPAlink|tsʼ}}

| {{IPAlink|tɬʼ}}

| {{IPAlink|tʃʼ}}

|

| {{IPAlink|kʼ}}

| {{IPAlink|kʼʷ}}

|

colspan="2" | Fricative

| {{IPAlink|f}}

| {{IPAlink|s}}

| {{IPAlink|ɬ}}

|

|

| {{IPAlink|x}}

| {{IPAlink|xʷ}}

| {{IPAlink|h}}

colspan="2" | Approximant

| {{IPAlink|β̞}}

|

| {{IPAlink|l}}

|

| {{IPAlink|j}}

|

|

|

{{IPA|/ɡ/}} and {{IPA|/l/}} have the allophones {{IPA|[dʒ]}} and {{IPA|[ɽ]}} before front vowels. {{IPA|/tʃʼ/}} is 'mildly' ejective. Ehret reports that {{IPA|/kʼ/}} and {{IPA|/kʼʷ/}} are voiced {{IPA|[ɡ, ɡʷ]}} if a preceding consonant is voiced.

= Vowels =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

!

!Front

!Back

Close

|{{IPAlink|i}}

|{{IPAlink|u}}

Close-mid

|{{IPAlink|e}}

|{{IPAlink|o}}

Open

| colspan="2" |{{IPAlink|a}}

Notes

{{Reflist}}

References

  • Christopher Ehret, 1980. "Kwʼadza vocabulary". ms.

{{Languages of Tanzania}}

{{Cushitic languages}}

{{AfroAsiatic-lang-stub}}

Category:South Cushitic languages

Category:Languages of Tanzania

Category:Extinct languages of Africa

Category:Unclassified languages of Africa

Category:Languages extinct in the 20th century