Reconstruction:Proto-Berber/a-lɣəm

This Proto-Berber entry contains reconstructed words and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Berber

Etymology

Widely considered to be a metathesis of an early borrowing ultimately from Semitic language, with the form *gamal; compare Arabic جَمَل‎ (jamal). The intermediate is unknown, and Kossmann (2005) raises several formal problems, beyond just metathesis, with the common suggestions of Latin camēlus and Coptic ϭⲁⲙⲟⲩⲗ (camoul).

Noun

*a-lɣəm m

camel

Reconstruction notes

Kossmann (2013) also suggests *a-ləɣəm as an alternate solution to the consonant cluster. Kossmann (2005) suggests that the labialization may point to an original *a-lɣum.

Descendants

Descendants of the form *a-ḷəm:

Tuareg: (including feminine forms, as the masculine is often rare or lost altogether)
- Tawallammat Tamajaq: aləṃ, alǎṃ, taləṃt f, taḷǎmt f
- Tayart Tamajeq: alǎṃ (rare), taḷǎmt f
- Tahaggart Tamahaq: aləm (rare), taləmt f, tələmt f (from a dictionary that does not mark emphatic consonants)
- Ghat: ṭaləmt f
- Adagh Tamasheq: taḷəmt f
Sedentary dialects: (likely borrowed from Tuareg)
- Ghadames: aḷǎm
- Taznatit: aḷəm
- Tumzabt: aḷəm
- Tagargrent: aḷəm

Descendants of the form *a-l(ə)ɣ(ʷ)əm:

Awjila: alóɣom, alöɣóm
Fogaha: alɣûm, alɣúm
Sokna: lǎɣóm
Nefusa: álɣåm, alɣóm
Siwi: alɣəm
Zuwara: alɣóm
Tashelhit: ⴰⵍⵖⵯⵎ (alɣʷm)
Central Atlas Tamazight: ⴰⵍⵖⴻⵎ (alɣem), ⴰⵍⵖⵯⴻⵎ (alɣʷem)
Kabyle: alɣwem, alɣem
Tachawit: alɣəm
Figuig: alɣəm
Iznasen: alɣəm
Tarifit: ar̃ɣəm
Zenaga: aǧiʔm, ayiʔm (via regular metathesis)

Descendants that may belong to either of the above forms:

Tetserret: aylim

Descendants of the form *a-ɣlam:

Tahaggart Tamahaq: aɣlam (“young adult camel”) (in the dialects of Niger and Burkina Faso)

Borrowings that may be direct from Berber:

→ Hausa: rā̀ƙumī (see there for further descendants)
→ Kanuri: kalímo (from an older form kalígimo)
→ Ngizim: dlə́gámáu, dlə́kə́mau (a possible medium on phonological grounds for many of the borrowings below)

Borrowings that are likely indirectly from Berber, through uncertain intermediates (with multiple levels of borrowing in the case of nativized forms that now refer to the horse:

→ Karekare: dlúkùmó
→ Bole: dlukumo
→ Kanakuru: dlə́ŋŋó, dlə́ŋók
→ Lamang: dlə̀gwàamà, ɬugwama (latter form from the Zələdvə dialect)
→ Wandala: eldugọmẹ, lugwama
→ Glavda: áadləgòma, ádləgòma
→ Mafa: dlúgúmây, dlúgúmáy
→ Matal: dlígùmí
→ Mofu-Gudur: ɬágwàmò
→ Daba: dlogomo
→ Cibak: dlugwam
→ Huba: dlə́gwàm
→ Margi: adlugwom, ləgwam
→ Musgu: dlìgìnìi
→ Buduma: lògùmé
→ Lagwan: lògòmè
→ Guduf-Gava: lungwome
→ Kwang: lokúma, lògə̀mà, kùlùkum (“horse”), kúlóogúm (“horse”)
→ Kabalai: làkmà (“horse”)
→ Lele (Chad): lùŋmà (“horse”)
→ Ndam: lùkmà, làam (“horse”)
→ Sokoro: lúgumo
→ Dangaléat: lòkùmò
→ Migaama: lókùmu
→ Birgit: lòkòmó, lògòmó
→ Niellim: lwāàgūùm (via a Chadic language)
→ Podoko: dúgwąmạ
→ Gidar: dǫgǫ́mọ
→ Bacama: lùkápto (with an added suffix and possibly assimilation of the /m/)
→ Masana: lámka, lákmáná (possibly metathesis or suffixation); kúlum (“horse”), kúlúmná (“horse”) (perhaps borrowed via Kanuri)

Likely borrowing into Mande, the origin of which is uncertain but possibly Zenaga:

→ Bambara: ɲɔ̀gɔmɛ́
→ Kita Maninkakan: ɲɔ̀gɔmɛ́
→ Susu: ɲɔxɔmɛ
→ Soninke: ɲogome
→ Mende: ɲɔ́má

References

Kossmann, Maarten (2005) Berber loanwords in Hausa (Berber Studies; 12), Köln: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, →ISBN.
Kossmann, Maarten (2013) The Arabic Influence on Northern Berber (Studies in Semitic Languages and Linguistics; 67), Leiden: Koninklijke Brill NV, →ISBN.