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Nalu (nalɛ, nul;[2] also spelled Nalou[3]) is an Atlantic language of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, spoken by the Nalu people, a West African people who settled the region before the arrival of the Mandinka in the 14th or 15th centuries.[4] It is spoken predominantly by adults. It is estimated to be spoken by a range of 10,000 to 25,000 people,[3] whereas Wilson (2007) reports that there are around 12,000 speakers.[2] It is considered an endangered language due to its dwindling population of speakers.[5]

Nalu
Native to	Guinea, Guinea-Bissau
Native speakers	18,500 (2014)[1]
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo ? Atlantic (unclassified) Nalu
Language codes
ISO 639-3	naj
Glottolog	nalu1240
ELP	Nalu

Classification

Contrary to prior classifications, Güldemann (2018) classifies Nalu as unclassified within Niger-Congo. It also does not form a subgroup with the Rio Nunez languages.[6]

Nalu is traditionally classified as Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Mbulugish-Nalu.[7][8]

History

The Nalu people who speak Nalu have been described as settling in West Africa before the Mandinka people.[9] This would place them as existing in West Africa between the 14th and 15th centuries. Wilson (2007) reports that the Nalu people had originally come from Guinea-Bissau.[2]

Today, the Nalu speakers are shifting toward the Susu language which is gaining more popularity in Guinea.[10] It has a predominantly adult-speaking population. The next generation is being passed on the language, however, in a few remote villages around Katoufoura.

Geographic distribution

Nalu is spoken predominantly on the littorals, or shore regions, of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.[11] Most Nalu speakers in Guinea live north of the Nuñez River on the Tristão islands, in the sub-prefecture of Kanfarandé which is the prefecture of Boké. In Guinea-Bissau, most speakers of Nalu live in the Cacine estuary in the Tombali region.[12]

Vocabulary

Nalu underwent a sound change in its language.[13] Sound change generally occurs due to what sounds require less effort for the speaker. These sound changes are usually limited to each dialect in a language and examples of the Nalu language sound changes are in the section below. Nalu has six dialects. Three are spoken in Guinea-Conakry and three are spoken in Guinée-Bissau.[13] However, the relationship between the dialects is unknown.

Examples

Nouns [13][14]

English	Nalu
man	be-cel
dirty/black	m-balax
cold	m-hon
arrow	n-kiam
axe	n-wōfañ
blood	a-nyak
bow	m-firl
brother	n-wōke
chief/king	m-fem/be-fem
devil/evil spirit	m-banjon
medicine man (doctor)	mi-let
fire	met
god	gu-dana
moon	m-bilañ
night	fot
slave	m-bōl
snake	mi-sis

Verbs[14]

English	Nalu
to come	m-ba
to kill	rama
to die	n-ref

Sound Changes Over Time[13]

English	Pre-Sound Change Nalu	Post-Sound Change Nalu
bone	nhol	a-hol
mouth	n-sol	a-sol
to kill	m-rama	rama
man	nlam-cel	be-cel
eye	n-cet	a-cet

References

External links

• Glottolog
• Joshua Project
• ELAR archive of Nalu Language

На других языках

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[de] Nalu

Das Nalu (oder Nalou) ist eine von Aussterben bedrohte westatlantische Sprache, die vom Volk der Nalu in Guinea und in Guinea-Bissau gesprochen wird.

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- [en] Nalu language

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[fr] Nalu (langue)

Le nalu (ou nalou) est une langue africaine rattachée à la branche nord des langues atlantiques, au sein de la famille des langues nigéro-congolaises.

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