Sinyar language

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Shemya (tàar ʃàmɲà) is the language of the Sinyar people. It is a Central Sudanic language spoken in Chad and formerly in Darfur, Sudan. It is variously spelled Shamya, Shamyan, Shemya, Sinya, and known as Symiarta, Taar Shamyan, Zimirra.

Sinyar
Shemya
Native toChad
EthnicitySinyar
Native speakers
33,000 (2023)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3sys
Glottologsiny1243

The language is spoken in Goz Beïda, Chad and Foro Boranga, Sudan. There are two level tones and downstepped low tones. Word order is SVO.[2][3]

Dimmendaal leaves it as a language isolate, whereas Blench groups it with Formona.[4]

Doornbos records 18 Sinyar clans. The Kijaar clan, located close to the Kujargé, likely intermarried with the Kujargé.[5]

Lexicon

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Sinyar appears to have a Bongo–Bagirmi superstratum and a non-Bongo–Bagirmi substratum. Some lexical items in Sinyar have cognates in Bongo–Bagirmi languages (particularly the neighboring Yulu-Gula group), while others do not.[6]

Sinyar numerals from Boyeldieu (2013):[7]

Numerals
1 kàllà
2 róò
3 mùʈʈà
4 ùssà
5 mòy
6 mìccà
7 mòorsò
8 màartà
9 mànɖéy
10 ʈìyà

Pronouns

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Sinyar pronouns:[6]

Sinyar pronouns
Gloss Sinyar
1S màalé, (màá)
2S ìllé
3S nàalé, (nàá)
1P.du cìngé
1P.ex? cìyé
1P.in cèesá
2P? sìngé; sèesá
3P nìngé

References

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  1. ^ Sinyar at Ethnologue (27th ed., 2024)  
  2. ^ Boyeldieu, Pascal. 2013. Case alignment(s) in Sinyar. Paper presented at the Nilo-Saharan Linguistics Colloquium, 22-24 May, 2013.
  3. ^ Boyeldieu, Pascal. 2015. Case alignment(s) in Sinyar. In Angelika Mietzner and Anne Storch (eds.), Nilo-Saharan: Models and Descriptions, 21-36. Cologne: Köppe.
  4. ^ Blench, Roger. Central Sudanic overview.
  5. ^ Blažek, Václav (2015). "On the position of Kujarke within Chadic". Folia Orientalia. 52. ISSN 0015-5675.
  6. ^ a b Boyeldieu, Pascal. 2013. Sinyar and SBB (Central Sudanic): genetic relationship or contact? Paper presented at Linguistique diachronique et reconstruction : méthodes, acquis, avancées récentes. Labex EFL. 1-6 July 2013.
  7. ^ Boyeldieu, Pascal. 2013. Sinyar numerals.