# Kadu languages

The Kadu languages, also known as Kadugli–Krongo or Tumtum, are a small language family of the Kordofanian geographic grouping, once included in Niger–Congo. However, since Thilo Schadeberg (1981), Kadu is widely seen as Nilo-Saharan. Evidence for a Niger-Congo affiliation is rejected, and a Nilo-Saharan relationship is controversial. A conservative classification would treat the Kadu languages as an independent family.

## Classification

Blench (2006) notes that Kadu languages share similarities with multiple African language phyla, including Niger-Congo and Nilo-Saharan, suggesting a complex history of linguistic convergence and contact. However, more recently, Blench states that Kadu is almost certainly Nilo-Saharan, with its closest relationship being with Eastern Sudanic.
Like the Nilotic, Surmic, and Kuliak languages, Kadu languages have verb-initial word order. However, most other languages of the Nuba Mountains, Darfur, and the Sudan-Ethiopia border region have verb-final word order.

## Branches

There are three branches:
* Kadu
** Western: Tulishi, Keiga, Kanga
** Central: Kadugli (incl. Miri, Katcha)
** Eastern: Krongo, Tumtum

## Classification

Hall & Hall (2004), based on Schadeberg (1987), classify the languages as follows.
Dafalla (2000) compares 179 cognates in Kadugli, Kamda, Kanga, Katcha, Keiga, Kufa, Miri, Shororo-Kursi, and Tulishi. Dafalla's (2000) results are similarly to those of Schadeberg (1989).

## Reconstructions

Some Kadu quasi-reconstructions by Blench (2006):
| Gloss | Proto-Kadu |
| bone | **-kub- |
| to cut, split | **deŋ- |
| to dance, sing, play | **bila |
| give | **-ɲa |
| head | **-tu |
| rat, mouse | **-fɛ |
| five | **turu |

## Comparative vocabulary

Sample basic vocabulary for Kadu languages:
| Language | name of language | name of people | name of locality | eye | eyes | ear | ears | nose | tooth | teeth | tongue | tongues | mouth | mouths | blood | bone | bones | tree | trees | water | eat (imperative) | name | names |
| Mudo | t̪u-muɗo | ka-muɗo | | áyye | ɲéne (e ~ ɪ) | neesɔ | kisínɛ | ɔ́ŋgɔ́rɔk/n- | t̪íŋíni | ííni | ëëdɔ | niŋgɔ́ɔ́dɔ | níínɔ | niináádi | (t̪iŋ-)/aríída | gúba | gubúúni | nde-aadí | k-aadí | ɓííd̪í | urí | ɛrɛ | nɛ́ŋgɛ́rɛ |
| Yegang | sani ma-yɛgaŋ; d̪-ayga | ka-yɛgaŋ | ɗi ma-yɛgaŋ; k-ɛɛgaŋ | ayyɛ | nigɛ́ɛ́nɛ́ | nɔɔsɔ ~ nɔssɔ | anɔ́ɔ́sɔ́ | ɓ-/arwɔk (nostril) | t̪ɪŋɪnɪ | kɪɪnɪ | t̪aŋʊɗɔ | anɗɔ́ɔ́nɛ́ | niinʊ | namnáád̪í | arid̪ʊ | t̪úŋʊ́ɓa | kooɓá | t̪aŋaɗí | kaaɗí | ɓiid̪i | kurɪ́ | ɛrɛ | kɛrɛ́ɛ́nɛ́ |
| Kufo | t̪iŋ-guufɔ | kud̪u maa-guufɔ | kuufɔ | ɛɛ | iyyɛ | nɛɛsɔ́ | íʃinɛ | mɔɔrɔ/níŋgɔrɔ | nd̪iŋiní | ŋiini | ŋɔɗɔ | ní-ŋáɗɔ | niinɔ | nitti | r̀ɗʊ | kuɓa | kuɓɔɔni | ffa | fáád̪ánɛ | ɓeeʃi | ʊʊri | ɛɛrɛ | nigirɛɛnɛ |
| Miri | ti-miri, t̪umma maa-miri | kad̪u maa-miri, kad̪u maa-faɗɔ | ɲɲa maa-miri | ɔɔyɛ | iiyɛ | nɛɛsɔ | isinɛ́ | úmb-/nugúŋg-ɔrɔk (nostril) | t̪í-ŋíni | ŋíni | (ŋ)ŋáɗɔ | nagáŋgáɗɔ | niinɔ | niginíínɔ | ariid̪u | t̪uŋuɓa | kuɓʊʊní | ffa | nááfa | ɓiid̪i | ágúrri | ɛɛrɛ | nigirɛɛnɛ |
| Talla | t̪in-d̪alla | kaa-d̪alla | t̪alla | ayyɛ | iyyɛ | naasɔ | isinɛ́ | ámb-/nigáŋg-árɔk | t̪-iŋŋini | iŋŋini | áŋdáɗuk | ni-ŋ́gɔɗɔ | niinɔ | niginíínɔ | ariid̪ʊ | t̪iŋguba | kuba | ffa | nááfa | ɓiid̪i | oori | ɛɛrɛ | nigirɛɛnɛ |
| Tolibi | t̪ʊn-d̪uunu, t̪umma maa-d̪uunu; t̪olibi[11] | ku-d̪uunu | ku-d̪uunu | ɔɔe | iyye | nɛɛsɔ | iisɛ́nɛ́ | ḿbarɔ/nʊgʊ́mbárɔ | t̪íŋ-gini | ii-gini | ŋ́gɔɗɔ | nugúŋgɔ́ɗɔ | niinɔ | náá-, nɛ́ɛ́-níínɔ | (ǹd̪ɛ́!ríídó)/á!ríídó | kʊɓa | kʊɓooní | affá | nnááfa | ɓiid̪i | aguri | ɛɛrɛ | nɪgɛrɛɛnɛ́ |
| Sangali | t̪umma ka-saŋaali | ka-saŋaali | ka-saŋaali | aaya | iiyɛ | naasɔ | easana | ɓ-/nag-ɔŋgɔ́rɔ | cíɲ(g)ini | ágini | a-ŋgɔ́ɗɔ | nɔ-, (n)agʊ-niinʊ | niinʊ | naginíínʊ | ariid̪ʊ | t̪ʊ́gʊ́ɓííní | kúɓííní | fa | afáád̪ana | ɓííjí (j ~ d̪) | agúrí | (ɛ)áárá | nɛgɛ́ráána |
| Krongo | niinʊ mɔ-ɗi | kad̪u mɔ-ɗi | | ɓalí-m-ɔyʊ | (kalí-m-)iiyʊ | nɛaasʊ | nísinɛ | amʊ́ʊ́ni/nɪgámʊʊni | t̪ɪn-jɪnɪ | ɪ-jɪnɪ | cɔɔɗɔ | níjɔɔɗɔ | niinɔ | munɔ́ɔ́d̪i | ʌ́ríd̪ɔ | kúɓʊ́ʊ́í | nugúɓʊ́ʊ́ní | ffa | náfat̪ani | ɓiid̪i | ágʊ́rɪ | yaari | nigíɲaari |
| Talasa | t̪alasa | kaa-d̪alasa | | ayyɛ | kilyá-m-íyyɛ | nɛɛsɔ | nɛ́sínɛ | a-mʊ́ʊ́nɛ/nɛ́ga- | t̪i-giní | níd̪í-giní | t̪ɔŋɔɗɔ́ | nid̪ɔ́ŋɔɗɔ́ | niina | nim̀naad̪i | ard̪a | kʊ́ɓʊ́ʊ́ní | nʊ́gʊ́ɓʊ́ʊ́ní | ffa | nááfa | ɓiigi | aguri | ɛɛrɛ | |

### Numerals

Comparison of numerals in individual languages:
| Language | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Katcha (1) | ŋkɔ́tɔ́ | ɛɛɾa | íd̪ɔːna | iɡiiso | it id̪úmú | it id̪úmú úfúń ŋkɔ́tɔ́ | it id̪úmú úfúń ɛɛɾa | it id̪úmú úfúń íd̪ɔːna | it id̪úmú úfúń iɡiiso | ad̪aɓaaɡa |
| Kadugli (Talla dialect) (2) | ŋ́ɡɔ̀ʈɔ̀k / 'ŋ́ɡàʈɔ̀k | ɛ́ːrà | ɔ̀'dɔ́ːnà | í'ɡízò | ù'dúmːù | ǹ̩dɪ̀nà'nɔ́ːɡɔ̀ | ʈìˈmízò | ùdúmːúˈdɪ̀stà | ìˈzántà | ɔ̀ˈlɔ́ːnà |
| Keiga | t̪ɔ́l | arʲáŋ | t̪ɔ̀na | kisːo | t̪ʊ́mʊ | t̪ʊmaɲúŋɡʊ | aŋɗʊ́rkà | abːa | t̪aɲuŋɡaʲ | amdí |
| Krongo | t-yuŋwa | t-yáaryà | t-yóotòonò | t-yóocìisò | àrwá-tì-nìisò (litː 'hit/beat-SGT-hand') | àttì kí-tì nyúŋwá | àttì kí-tì nyáaryà | àttì kí-tì nyóotòonò | àttì kí-tì nyóocìisò | àttì kí-tì n-árwá-tì-nìiso |
| Tulishi (Kamda dialect) | kɔ̀ʈːɔ̀k | kɑ̀ːrɑ́ʔ | tɔ́ːnɑ̀ʔ | tíːsòʔ | tʊ̀mːʊ̀ʔ | rɔ̀sːɑ̀ʔ | kɔ́rɖɑ́ʈːɑ̀ʔ | ɑ̀ʈːɑ́ʔ | kɔ́rómɑ́dɔ̀ɓːɑ́ | tɔ̀ɓːɑ́ʔ |