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Maba language

{{Short description|Maban language spoken in Chad and Sudan}}

{{About|the Nilo-Saharan language|the Austronesian language|Maba language (Indonesia)}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Maba

|nativename=buraa mabaŋ
{{script/Arabic|بُرَا مَبَݝ}}

|states=Chad

|region=Ouaddaï, Wadi Fira

|ethnicity=Maba

|speakers={{sigfig|570,000|2}}

|date=2019

|ref=e27

|familycolor=Nilo-Saharan

|fam2=Maban

|fam3=Mabang

|dia1=Maba

|dia2=Kodroy

|dia3=Kabartu

|dia4=Kondongo

|script=Arabic script
Latin

|iso3=mde

|glotto=maba1277

|glottorefname=Maba (Chad)

}}

Maba (Maban, Mabang, or Bura Mabang) is a Nilo-Saharan language of the Maban branch spoken in Chad and Sudan. It is divided into several dialects, and serves as a local trade language. Maba is closely related to the Masalit language.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/mde/|title=Maba|publisher=Ethnologue|access-date=8 March 2024}} Most speakers of Maba reside in Chad with 542,000 speakers as of 2019. In 2022 there were 28,000 speakers in Sudan where the language is known as Sulaihab.

Phonology

= Vowels =

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

!

!Front

!Central

!Back

align="center"

!Close

|i iː

|

|u uː

Open-mid

|ɛ ɛː

|

|ɔ ɔː

align="center"

!Open

|

|a aː

|

  • /ɛ, ɛː/ and /ɔ, ɔː/ may be realized as more close [e, eː] and [o, oː], when found in open syllable positions.
  • Vowels may also be marginally realized as nasal when in nasal environments.

= Consonants =

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

! colspan="2" |

!Labial

!Alveolar

!Retroflex

!Palatal

!Velar

!Glottal

colspan="2" |Nasal

|m

|n

|

|ɲ

|ŋ

|

rowspan="3" |Stop

!{{Small|voiceless}}

|(p)

|t

|(ʈ)

|c

|k

|

{{Small|voiced}}

|b

|d

|(ɖ)

|ɟ

|g

|

{{Small|prenasal}}

|ᵐb

|ⁿd

|(ᶯɖ)

|ᶮɟ

|ᵑɡ

|

rowspan="2" |Fricative

!{{Small|voiceless}}

|f

|s

|

|ʃ

|

|(h)

{{Small|voiced}}

|

|(z)

|

|

|

|

colspan="2" |Rhotic

|

|ɾ

|

|

|

|

colspan="2" |Lateral

|

|l

|

|

|

|

colspan="2" |Approximant

|

|

|

|j

|w

|

  • Stop sounds /b, t, k/ are heard as unreleased [p̚, t̚, k̚] when in word-final position.
  • Sounds [p, h] are heard mostly as a result of loanwords. [z] is also mostly from Arabic loanwords, but also may occur in some native words as well.
  • /t, d, ⁿd/ when preceding a tap /ɾ/, are then heard as retroflex [ʈ, ɖ, ᶯɖ].
  • /ɾ/ may also be heard as a trill [r] in free variation.{{Cite book|last=Weiss|first=Doris|title=Phonologie et morphosyntaxe du Maba|publisher=Université Lumière - Lyon II|year=2009}}

Orthography

Maba language is written with the Latin and Arabic Chad Alphabet.

class="wikitable"

|+ Maba Latin alphabet {{cite book | language=mde | first1=Antje | last1=Maass | first2=Abdoulaye Issaakha | last2=Mahamat | first3=Ousman Timsa | last3=Ali | first4=Duudeen Ali | last4=Adam | title=Buraa mabaŋnu jiŋ ger mirni! (Kitab 1) | place=N’Djaména | publisher=SIL Tchad | date=2017 | edition=3 | orig-date=2000 | isbn= | url=https://www.sil.org/resources/archives/32724 }} ([https://buraamaba.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/jig-ger-Mirni1.pdf PDF] dead link)

| A a

B bC cCh chD dDr drE e (Ɛ ɛ)

| F f

G gH hI iJ jK kKh khL lM mMb mb
{{IPAblink|a}}{{IPAblink|b}}{{IPAblink|c}}{{IPAblink|ʃ}}{{IPAblink|d}}{{IPAblink|ɖ}}{{IPAblink|ɛ}}{{IPAblink|f}}{{IPAblink|g}}{{IPAblink|h}}{{IPAblink|i}}{{IPAblink|ɟ}}{{IPAblink|k}}{{IPAblink|x}}{{IPAblink|l}}{{IPAblink|m}}{{IPAblink|ᵐb}}
N nN̰ n̰Nd ndNdr ndrNj njŊ ŋNg ngO o (Ɔ ɔ)Pp

| R r

S sT tTr trU uW wY yZ z
{{IPAblink|n}}{{IPAblink|ɲ}}{{IPAblink|ⁿd}}{{IPAblink|ᶯɖ}}{{IPAblink|ᶮɟ}}{{IPAblink|ŋ}}{{IPAblink|ᵑɡ}}{{IPAblink|ɔ}}{{IPAblink|p}}{{IPAblink|ɾ}} ({{IPAblink|r}}){{IPAblink|s}}{{IPAblink|t}}{{IPAblink|ʈ}}{{IPAblink|u}}{{IPAblink|w}}{{IPAblink|j}}{{IPAblink|z}}

class="wikitable Unicode" dir="rtl"

|+ Maba Arabic alphabet{{cite book | language=mde |first1=Alkassim|last1=Oumar|first2=Fathimat Al-Zahra|last2=Hicham|first3=Abdoulaye Ali|last3=Dahab|first4=Ousman Timsa|last4=Ali|last5=Zürcher|first5=Evodie|last6=Weiss|first6=Doris| title=بُرَا مَبَݝْنُ، جِݝ قٚر مِرْنِ! (كِتَب ١) (Buraa mabaŋnu jiŋ ger mirni! (Kitab 1)) | place=N’Djaména | publisher=SIL Tchad | date=2007 | edition=4 | orig-date=2000 | isbn= | url=https://www.sil.org/resources/archives/32737 }}

Arabic
(Latin)
[IPA]

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|أ إ}}
‌( - )
{{IPAblink|∅}}/{{IPAblink|ʔ}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ب}}
(B b)
{{IPAblink|b}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|پ}}
(P p)
{{IPAblink|p}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ت}}
(T t)
{{IPAblink|t}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | {{script/Arabic|ث}}
(T t)
{{IPAblink|t}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ج}}
(J j)
{{IPAblink|ɟ}}

Arabic
(Latin)
[IPA]

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ڃ}}
(Nj nj)
{{IPAblink|ᶮɟ}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|چ}}
(C c)
{{IPAblink|c}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | {{script/Arabic|ح}}
(H h)
{{IPAblink|h}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|خ}}
(Kh kh)
{{IPAblink|x}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|د}}
(D d)
{{IPAblink|d}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ڊ}}
(Nd nd)
{{IPAblink|ⁿd}}

Arabic
(Latin)
[IPA]

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | {{script/Arabic|ذ}}
(S s)
{{IPAblink|s}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ر}}
(R r)
{{IPAblink|ɾ}} ({{IPAblink|r}})

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ڔ}}
(Dr dr)
{{IPAblink|ɖ}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ز}}
(Z z)
{{IPAblink|z}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ڗ}}
(Tr tr)
{{IPAblink|ʈ}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ژ}}
(Ndr Ndr)
{{IPAblink|ᶯɖ}}

Arabic
(Latin)
[IPA]

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|س}}
(S s)
{{IPAblink|s}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ش}}
(Ch ch)
{{IPAblink|ʃ}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | {{script/Arabic|ص}}
(S s)
{{IPAblink|s}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | {{script/Arabic|ض}}
(D d)
{{IPAblink|d}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | {{script/Arabic|ط}}
(T t)
{{IPAblink|t}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | {{script/Arabic|ظ}}
(Z z)
{{IPAblink|z}}

Arabic
(Latin)
[IPA]

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | {{script/Arabic|ع}}
( - )
{{IPAblink|ʔ}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" bgcolor="#FFEFD5" | {{script/Arabic|غ}}
(Kh kh)
{{IPAblink|x}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ݝ}}
(Ŋ ŋ)
{{IPAblink|ŋ}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ڠ}}
(Ng ng)
{{IPAblink|ᵑɡ}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ف}}
(F f)
{{IPAblink|f}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ق}}
(G g)
{{IPAblink|g}}

Arabic
(Latin)
[IPA]

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ك}}
(K k)
{{IPAblink|k}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ل}}
(L l)
{{IPAblink|l}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|م}}
(M m)
{{IPAblink|m}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ݦ}}
(Mb mb)
{{IPAblink|ᵐb}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ن}}
(N n)
{{IPAblink|n}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ݧ}}
(N̰ n̰)
{{IPAblink|ɲ}}

Arabic
(Latin)
[IPA]

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ه}}
(H h)
{{IPAblink|h}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|و}}
(W w)
{{IPAblink|w}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ؤ}}
‌( - )
{{IPAblink|ʔ}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ي}}
(Y y)
{{IPAblink|j}}

| style="width:7em; text-align:center; padding: 3px;" | {{script/Arabic|ئ}}
‌( - )
{{IPAblink|ʔ}}

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

|+Vowel at beginning of word

A || E (Ɛ) || I || O (Ɔ) || U
dir="rtl"

| {{Script/Arabic|أَ}}

| {{Script/Arabic|أٚ}}

| {{Script/Arabic|إِ}}

| {{Script/Arabic|أٛ}}

| {{Script/Arabic|أُ}}

Aa || Ee (Ɛɛ) || Ii || Oo (Ɔɔ) || Uu
dir="rtl"

| {{Script/Arabic|آ}}

| {{Script/Arabic|أٚيـ}}

| {{Script/Arabic|إِيـ}}

| {{Script/Arabic|أٛو}}

| {{Script/Arabic|أُو}}

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

|+Vowel at middle and end of word

a || e (ɛ) || i || o (ɔ) || u || ∅
dir="rtl"

| {{Script/Arabic|◌َ}}

| {{Script/Arabic|◌ٚ}}

| {{Script/Arabic|◌ِ}}

| {{Script/Arabic|◌ٛ}}

| {{Script/Arabic|◌ُ}}

| {{Script/Arabic|◌ْ}}

aa || ee (ɛɛ) || ii || oo (ɔɔ) || uu
dir="rtl"

| {{Script/Arabic|◌َا / ـَا}}

| {{Script/Arabic|◌ٚيـ / ـٚيـ}}
{{Script/Arabic|◌ٚي / ـٚي}}

| {{Script/Arabic|◌ِيـ / ـِيـ}}
{{Script/Arabic|◌ِي / ـِي}}

| {{Script/Arabic| ٛ◌و / ـٛو}}

| {{Script/Arabic|◌ُو / ـُو}}

Sample Text

Sample texts from "Mabaan Dictionary".[http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Nilo-Saharan/Nilotic/Mabaan%20dictionary%20Unicode.pdf Mabaan dictionary] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20240417191053/http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Nilo-Saharan/Nilotic/Mabaan%20dictionary%20Unicode.pdf Archive])

class="wikitable"
Translation

| Nyanna, when you go to Mulle's village, ask Mulle for my oil gourd the gourd that she borrowed the other day. When she gives it to you bring it in your hand so that I can pour out some of my oil because I don't have any left.

Latin Script

| {{lang|mde-Latn|N̰anna, ne i ooddi ban Mullinye, dala ne i tooccaa Mulliti te lwan̰gon ya lwan̰gon uanne eke oŋiti. Dala ne i wondi owwa bieŋiti aŋka ya buaga luayi n̰on ya acaan ya balka geel moki bee.}}

Arabic Script

| {{rtl-para|{{lang|mde-Arab|ݧَنَّ، نٚ إِ أٛودِّ بَنْ مُلِّنْيٚ، دَلَ نٚ إِ تٛوچَّا مُلِّتِ تٚ لْوَ ݧْقٛنْ يَ لْوَ ݧْقٛنْ أُؤَنّٚ أٚكّٚ أٛݝِتِ. دَلَ نٚ إِ وٛڊِ أٛوَّ بِئٚݝِتِ أّݝْكَ يَ بُؤَقَ لُؤَيِ ݧٛنْ يَ أّچَانْ يَ بَلْكَ قٚيلْ مٛكِ بٚي.}}}}

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

  • {{cite web |url=http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Nilo-Saharan/Nilotic/Mabaan%20dictionary%20Unicode.pdf |title=Mabaan dictionary |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417191053/http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Nilo-Saharan/Nilotic/Mabaan%20dictionary%20Unicode.pdf |archive-date=2024-04-17 |website=Roger Blench}}
  • {{cite thesis |first=Doris |last=Weiss |title=Phonologie et morphosyntaxe du Maba |trans-title=Phonology and Morphology of Maba |publisher=Université Lumière - Lyon II |year=2009 |url=https://theses.hal.science/tel-01540280/document |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418140309/https://theses.hal.science/tel-01540280/document |archive-date=2024-04-18 |id={{HAL|tel-01540280}}}}

{{Maban languages}}

{{Languages of Chad}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Arabic script}}

Category:Maban languages

Category:Languages of Chad

Category:Long stubs with short prose

{{ns-lang-stub}}