Reflexes of a Labiovelar Series in Central Sudanic

The Central Sudanic [CSD] languages are spoken in central Africa over parts of the D.R.C., Uganda, Sudan, C.A.R. and Chad. They comprise six subgroups of unequal size (representative languages are indicated in parentheses): – [MMD] Moru-Madi (Moru, Avokaya, Logo, Lugbara, Ma’di), – [LND] Lendu (Ngiti, Lendu), – [MAS] Mangbetu(-Asua) (Asua, Mangbetu, Meje, Lombi), – [MEF] Mangbutu-Efe (Mangbutu, Ndo, Mamvu, Lese, Efe), – [KRS] Kresh (Kresh, Dongo, Aja ?), – [SBB] (Sara-)Bongo-Bagirmi (Modo, Baka, Bongo, Yulu, Gula dialects, Ndoka, Bagiro, Na, Kenga, Bagirmi, Sara languages). SBB is the most important subgroup in respect to both number of languages and geographical extension (see map). While Tucker & Bryan (1956, 1966) divided these languages in two different ‘larger units’ (Moru-Mangbetu vs Bongo-Bagirmi) despite their lexical and grammatical affinities, Greenberg (1963) grouped them together as the Central Sudanic branch of his Nilo-Saharan phylum. Both Bender (1992) and Ehret (1992) tried to establish regular phonetic correspondences for these languages but in a rather unconvincing way. The aim of this paper is to provide some evidence for correspondences involving articulations of the labiovelar type with the help of more recent data.