Cushitic loans in South Nilotic revisited: a deconstruction of Proto Baz

Mous, M.P.G.M.; Rapold, C.

doi:doi:10.15460/auue.2025.98.1.368

This article explores lexical contact between Cushitic and Nilotic taking the proposed Cushitic language Proto Baz as point of departure. Proto Baz is a putative East Cushitic language proposed by Heine, Rottland & Vossen (1979), on the basis of words borrowed into South Nilotic. Some of the loans were already pointed out by Ehret (1970, 1971, 1974). A critical assessment of the proposed loans shows that there is more di-versity in their origin than formerly thought, and that it is in fact not necessary to assume the existence of a separate language (Proto Baz) to account for the loans. Instead, the loans came from various reconstructed stages of existing Cushitic languages. We discuss different contact situ-ations between groups of East Cushitic and South Nilotic languages, as well as the recurring challenges in historical interpretation of the avail-able evidence. The Appendix provides the reader with an overview of the discussed lexical items from earlier sources and new...Show moreThis article explores lexical contact between Cushitic and Nilotic taking the proposed Cushitic language Proto Baz as point of departure. Proto Baz is a putative East Cushitic language proposed by Heine, Rottland & Vossen (1979), on the basis of words borrowed into South Nilotic. Some of the loans were already pointed out by Ehret (1970, 1971, 1974). A critical assessment of the proposed loans shows that there is more di-versity in their origin than formerly thought, and that it is in fact not necessary to assume the existence of a separate language (Proto Baz) to account for the loans. Instead, the loans came from various reconstructed stages of existing Cushitic languages. We discuss different contact situ-ations between groups of East Cushitic and South Nilotic languages, as well as the recurring challenges in historical interpretation of the avail-able evidence. The Appendix provides the reader with an overview of the discussed lexical items from earlier sources and new proposed analyses.
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Cushitic loans in South Nilotic revisited: a deconstruction of Proto Baz