Editing Niellim language

{{Short description|Bua language spoken in Chad}}
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{{more footnotes|date=July 2024}}
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{{Infobox language
|name=Niellim
|nativename={{lang|nie|lwaà}}
|states=southwestern [[Chad]]
|speakers={{sigfig|5160|2}}
|date=1993 census
|ref=e18
|familycolor=Niger-Congo
|fam2=[[Atlantic–Congo languages|Atlantic–Congo]]
|fam3=[[Mbum–Day languages|Mbum–Day]]
|fam4=[[Bua languages|Bua]]
|iso3=nie
|glotto=niel1243
|glottorefname=Niellim
|map=Niellim-closeup.png
|mapcaption=Closeup of the area where Niellim is spoken.
|notice=IPA
}}

The '''Niellim language''' (autonym {{lang|nie|lwaà}}) is a [[Bua languages|Bua language]] spoken by some 5,000 people (as of 1993) along the [[Chari River]] in southern [[Chad]].  It is mainly spoken in two areas: one around the city of [[Sarh]] (to which many - perhaps most - speakers have migrated) and one, its traditional home, further north, between about 9°30′ and 9°50′ N, corresponding to the former chiefdoms of Pra and [[Niou]], as well as the Niellim Sultanate.

Niellim borders on several languages of diverse families – in particular [[Sara languages|Sara]], [[Ndam language|Ndam]], and [[Laal language|Laal]] – and is influenced by the local ''[[lingua franca]]'', [[Baguirmi language|Baguirmi]]; it has itself strongly influenced [[Laal language|Laal]], but also apparently has been influenced by Laal, or a relative of Laal, since much of the common Laal–Niellim vocabulary is not Bua.  It is notably homogeneous.  As a small minority in Chad, its speakers usually have to learn other languages, mostly (as of 1974) [[Baguirmi language|Baguirmi]], [[Sara languages|Sara]], [[Arabic language|Arabic]], and [[Bua language|Bua]].

==Niellim Sultanate==

In the middle of the 19th century, the Niellim-speaking clan along the Chari organized into a small sultanate. Throughout the latter half of the century, they suffered various raids by the [[Sultanate of Bagirmi|Baguirmi Kingdom]], until they were eventually vassalized by them. Under their rule, they assimilated with the [[Bagirmi people|Barma people]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Azevedo |first=Mario Joaquim |title=Historical dictionary of Chad |last2=Decalo |first2=Samuel |date=2018 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-5381-1436-0 |edition=4th |series=Historical dictionaries of Africa |location=Lanham, MD}}</ref>

==Phonology==

The consonants are:

{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
!colspan=2|
! [[Bilabial consonant|Bilabial]]
! [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
!rowspan=4|[[Stop consonant|Stop]]
!<small>[[Voicelessness|voiceless]]</small>
| {{IPAlink|p}}
| {{IPAlink|t}}
| {{IPAlink|c}}
| {{IPAlink|k}}
| {{IPAlink|ʔ}}
|-
!<small>[[Voice (phonetics)|plain voiced]]</small>
| {{IPAlink|b}}
| {{IPAlink|d}}
| {{IPAlink|ɟ}}
| {{IPAlink|g}}
| 
|-
!<small>[[Prenasalized consonant|prenasalized]]</small>
| {{IPAlink|ᵐb}}
| {{IPAlink|ⁿd}}
| {{IPAlink|ᶮɟ}}
| {{IPAlink|ᵑɡ}}
|
|-
!<small>[[Implosive consonant|Implosive]]</small>
| {{IPAlink|ɓ}}
| {{IPAlink|ɗ}}
|
|
|
|-
!colspan=2|[[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
|
| {{IPAlink|s}}
|
|
| {{IPAlink|h}}
|-
!colspan=2|[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| {{IPAlink|m}}
| {{IPAlink|n}}
| {{IPAlink|ɲ}}
| {{IPAlink|ŋ}}
|
|-
!colspan=2|[[Nasal stop|Nasal]] [[approximant]]
| 
| 
| 
| {{IPA|w̃}}
|
|-
!colspan=2|[[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]
|
| {{IPAlink|l}}
| {{IPAlink|j}}
| {{IPAlink|w}}
|
|-
!colspan=2|[[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
| {{IPAlink|r}}
|
|
|
|}

The vowels are {{IPA|/i/, /ɨ/, /u/, /e/, /ə/, /a/}}, and {{IPA|/o/}} as well as the diphthongs, {{IPA|/ja/}} and  {{IPA|/wa/}};  all except {{IPA|/ɨ/}} can also be given contrastive length and nasalization.  Complex [[vowel harmony]], rather similar to that found in [[Laal language|Laal]], is observable.

There are three tone levels: low, mid, high.  Any syllable must bear at least one tone; it may bear any combination of two tones, or one of three three-tone combinations: LML, MLH, or HLH.

==Grammar==

===Syntax===
The typical word order is [[subject–verb–object]] (though this can be affected by topic [[English clause syntax#Fronting and zeroing|fronting]]); [[preposition]] - prepositional object (- [[postposition]]); [[noun]] - [[adjective]]; possessed - possessor.  However, possessive pronouns precede the noun.

===Pronouns===
The basic personal pronouns include: {{lang|nie|n}} {{gloss|I}}, {{lang|nie|m}} {{gloss|you}}, {{lang|nie|r}} {{gloss|he, she, it}} (with low tone as subjects, high tone as objects), {{lang|nie|í}} {{gloss|you (pl.)}}, and {{lang|nie|á}} {{gloss|they}}. ("We" does not appear in sources so far examined by the editors.{{who?|date=July 2024}})

===Nouns===
Noun plural formation is quite complex, and includes some apparent relics of a now-absent [[noun class]] system; the commonest ways include combinations of internal vowel [[ablaut]], the suffix ''-gɨ'', a change ''l/n'' > ''r'', and/or replacing final ''-a'' with ''-i''.

===Verbs===
Each verb has two forms: [[indicative mood|indicative]] and [[optative mood|optative]] ("[[injunctive mood|injunctive]]" in Boyeldieu's terminology.)  They are distinguished by tonal pattern.

Verbs may be preceded by various particles to indicate [[Grammatical tense|tense]], [[Grammatical aspect|aspect]], and [[Grammatical mood|mood]]: for instance {{lang|nie|wò}} continuous, {{lang|nie|ɓə}} future, {{lang|nie|ká}} obligation.  Indirect quoted speech is preceded with the particle {{lang|nie|ɓə}} {{gloss|that}}.

Verbal nouns may be formed by changing the tone pattern and/or suffixing {{lang|nie|-li}} or {{lang|nie|-la}} (in which the ''l'' becomes ''n'' following a nasal) together with internal vowel ablaut.

Verb derivational suffixes include {{lang|nie|-n}} intensive (realized as {{lang|nie|-nì}} or {{lang|nie|-ɨ̀n}}, e.g., {{lang|nie|nun}} {{gloss|bite}} > {{lang|nie|nùnɨ̀n}} {{gloss|gnaw}}, and sometimes causing internal ablaut), and {{lang|nie|-gɨ̀}} [[mediopassive]] (sometimes {{lang|nie|-gi}} or {{lang|nie|-gu}}, rarely causes internal ablaut).

===Prepositions===

Common prepositions include {{lang|nie|gɨ̀}} {{gloss|to ([[dative]])}}, {{lang|nie|naà}} {{gloss|with}}, and {{lang|nie|ti}} {{gloss|to}}.

==Examples==

* {{lang|nie|ɓá̰ tɨba ti ʔùu:l, sì sì, tén w̃àɲ, kà ŕ lápyaà.}}
: child fall road, go go, find chief, do him hello.
: The child set off, walked and walked, found the chief and greeted him.
* {{lang|nie|á na ŕ ndúu: ní ŕ ɲì.}}
: they give him water he drink
: They gave him water to drink.
* {{lang|nie|jée:l lá ŕ ʔwa̰ ŕ ɓi:r tén w̃àɲ:}}
: evening too he get-up he ask chief:
: In the evening he got up and asked the chief:
* {{lang|nie|w̃àɲ, ɲìin hina ḿ ɓá̰ tàa:m. ɛɛ̀, pàáy kəə̀y? ǹ tà:m ḿ ɓá̰ càaw.}}
: chief I(emph.) come you child seek, eh, is-it what?, I want you child marry (verbal noun)
: "Chief, I have come to seek your daughter; I want to marry your daughter."

(From a story recounted by Dakour Yalka Ali, in Boyeldieu 1985, p.&nbsp;10)

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* P. Boyeldieu, ''La langue lua ("niellim") (Groupe Boua - Moyen-Chari, Tchad) Phonologie - Morphologie - Dérivation verbale''.  Descriptions des langues et monographes ethnologuistiques, 1.  Cambridge University Press & Editions de la Maison des Sciences de l'Homme for SELAF.  Paris 1985.  {{ISBN|0-521-27069-3}} (CUP).  (A source for this article.)
* P. Boyeldieu, "Esquisse phonologique du lua ("niellim") de Niou (Moyen-Chari)", in Jean-Paul Caprile (ed.), ''Etudes phonologiques tchadiennes'', Paris:SELAF 1977.
* [[Pascal Boyeldieu]] and C. Seignobos, "Contribution à l'étude du pays niellim (Moyen-Chari - Tchad)", ''L'homme et le milieu, Aspects du développement au Tchad'', Série: Lettres, Langues vivantes et Sciences humaines, no. 3, 1975, pp.&nbsp;67–98. Includes an 80-word comparative list for Niellim and three Tunia varieties, with some remarks on regular correspondences
* P. Boyeldieu & C. Seignobos, ''Contribution à l'étude du pays niellim'', Université du Tchad / INTSH, N'djamena, 1974.  Includes word lists for ''Kwa Tchini'' (Niellim dialect) and ''Kwa Perim'' (Tunia dialect).
* M. Gaudefroy-Demombynes, ''Documents sur les langues de l'Oubangui-Chari'', Paris, 1907.  Includes (pp.&nbsp;107–122) a 200-word comparative list of Bua, Niellim, Fanian, and Tunia, with a brief grammar and some phrases collected by Decorse.
* J. Lukas, ''Zentralsudanisches Studien'', Hamburg, Friedrichsen, de Gruyter & Cie, 1937.  Gives the wordlists of Nachtigal, zu Mecklenburg, Barth, and Gaudefroy-Demombynes for Bua (~400 words), Niellim (~200 words), and Koke (~100 words).
* P. Palayer, "Notes sur les Noy du Moyen-Chari (Tchad)", ''Les langues du groupe Boua'', N'djamena, I.N.S.H., "Etudes et documents tchadiens", Série C (Linguistique), no. 2, pp.&nbsp;196–219.  Elements of Noy, plus a 50-word comparative list of Noy, Niellim (2 dialects), Tunia, Iro Gula.

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041025110454/http://llacan.cnrs-bellevue.fr/FRANCAIS/sommaire.htm Niellim]

{{Adamawa languages}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Niellim Language}}
[[Category:Bua languages]]
[[Category:Languages of Chad]]