Korandje | |
---|---|
Kwarandzyey | |
Native to | Algeria |
Region | Tabelbala, Béchar Province |
Ethnicity | Belbali |
Native speakers | 3,000 (2010)[1] |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | kcy |
Glottolog | kora1291 |
ELP | Kwarandzyey |
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Korandje (Korandje: kwạṛa n dzyəy; Arabic: البلبالية, romanized: al-Balbaliyyah) is a Northern Songhay language[3] which is by far the most northerly of the Songhay languages. It is spoken around the Algerian oasis of Tabelbala by about 3,000 people; its name literally means "village's language". While retaining a basically Songhay structure, it is extremely heavily influenced by Berber and Arabic; about 20% of the 100-word Swadesh list of basic vocabulary consists of loanwords from Arabic or Berber, and the proportion of the lexicon as a whole is considerably higher.[4]
The only published studies of Korandje based on first-hand data are Cancel (1908),[5] a 45-page article by a French lieutenant covering basic grammar and vocabulary and a couple of sample texts; Champault (1969),[6] an anthropological study containing some incidental linguistically relevant materials such as sentences and rhymes; Tilmatine (1991, 1996),[7] an article (published in German, then reworked in French) revisiting Cancel and Champault and adding about a page of new data recorded by the author; and Souag (2010a, 2010b),[8] the former arguing the case for Western Berber loans in the lexicon, the latter studying the effect of contact with Berber and Arabic on its grammar.