# Mel languages

The Mel languages are a branch of Niger–Congo languages spoken in Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. The most populous is Temne, with about two million speakers; Kissi is next, with half a million.

## Languages

Mel has traditionally been classified as the bulk of a southern branch of a West Atlantic branch of Niger–Congo. However, these are geographic and typological rather than genealogical groups; Segerer (2010) shows that there is no exclusive relationship between Mel and the other southern languages, Sua (Mansoanka) and Gola.
* Mel
** Temne
*** Temne
*** Baga languages
** Bullom–Kissi
*** Bullom languages
*** Kissi
Fields (2004) splits Mel into a Highlands group originating in Guinea, and also a Bullom-Kisi-Gola group.
* Mel
** Bullom-Kisi-Gola
*** Gola
*** Bullom-Kisi
**** Bullom
**** Kisi
** Highlands
*** Temne
*** Landuma
*** Sitem
Fields (2008:83) proposes that the homeland of Proto-Mel is located in the north-central highlands of Sierra Leone just to the south of the Lesser Scarcies River, rather than on the coast. The homeland of Proto-Highlands is located along the middle stretches of the Konkoure River in Guinea, just to the northeast of Conakry (Fields 2008:85).

## Comparative vocabulary

Comparison of basic vocabulary words in the Mel languages from Fields (2004):
| Language | eye | ear | nose | tooth | tongue | mouth | blood | bone | tree | water | eat | name |
| Sitemu | dɔ-fɔr | lʊŋʊs | a-lolYm | de-sek | te-mera | ku-su | me-tyir | kʊ-bɛnt | kʊ-tɔk | dɔ-mun | ki-di | te-we / me-we |
| Landuma | da-fɔr | a-lʊnʊs, a-rʊns | ta-soth, ta-suth | da-sek | da-mera | kʊ-suŋ | ma-tsir, ma-cir | kʊ-bʊnt | ke-tog, kʊ-tɔɔk | da-mun, m-anc | ki-di | tayif |
| Temne | for | a-lʊns, a-lʊs | a-suth, a-sot | sek | ra-mer | saŋ | tsir | bant, kʊ-bonth | n-anʈ | m-ant | di; som | bonʈ; n-es |
| Bullom | foll | nui | min | ɛ-chang | mulliŋ, li–mɛliŋ | ɲɛn | nkong | pah | rum | men | dyo | ilillɛ |
| Kisi | hɔlten | nileŋ | miŋndo | ciŋnde | diɔ-muleŋ | sondoo | koowaŋ | paa | yɔmndo | mɛŋndaŋ | dio | diolaŋ |
| Gola | e-fe | nu | e-mia | sia | me-miel, o-mie, meer-o | o-na, ɲa | sa, ma-sei, ma-sen | ke-kpa | ke-kul, kulu | mai, mande, mandi | dze, dzɛ | e-del |
Comparison of basic vocabulary words in the Mel languages, and also Sua and Gola, from Wilson (2007): Limba has also been added from Clarke (1922).
| Language | eye | ear | nose | tooth | tongue | mouth | blood | bone | tree | water | name; surname |
| Baga Maduri | da-fɔr / i- / sə- | a-läŋgäs / i- | ta-sot / ma- | da-sek / i- | da-mer / sə- | ku-suŋ / cu- | koonɛ | ke-bant | kə-tɔɔk / i- | ba-mun | ta-we / ma-; lambe (d-) |
| Baga Sitemu | dɔ-fɔr / Ø- / sə- | a-laŋəs / sə- / Ø- | a-loləm / Ø- | de-sek / Ø- | te-mer / me- | ku-su / cu- | mɛ-tsir | | ko-tɔk / tsə- | da-mun | |
| Baga Koba | da-fɔr / ɛ- | a-rəns / ɛ- | ta-sot / ma- | da-sek / ɛ- | da-mɛr | ku-soŋ / tsə- | ma-tsir | ke-bant / tsə- | kə-tɔk | na-mun | kə-teŋk |
| Landuma | da-fɔr / ɛ- / sə- | a-ləŋəs / yɛ- | ta-soot / ma | da-sek / ɛ- | da-mera / sə- | kə-suŋ / cə- | ma-cir | | kə-tɔɔʐ / yɛ- | da-mun; m-ancs | ta-yif / ma- |
| Temne | rə-fɔr / ɛ- | ä-ləns / ɛ- | ä-sot̪ / mə- | rə-sek / ɛ- | rə-mer | kə-səŋ / tə- | mə-tir | kə-bänt̪ | ŋ-ənt / y-; ä-tɔk 'firewood' | m-änt | ŋ-es / m- |
| Sherbro | hɔ́l / ti- | nṵ́ɪ́ / ti- | mín / si- | caŋ / n- | (li)màlíŋ / ti- | sùm | ŋkɔ̀ŋ | pak | tɔ̀k | mɛ́n | (i)líl / n-, si- |
| Mmani | fɔl / thifɔl | nyu / thinyu | min / thimin | caŋ /ncaŋ | di-miliŋ / mamiliŋ | eñɛn / nñɛn | kòó-wáŋ | pak / thipak | yɔ̀m-ndó | m̄ɛn | i–lɛlu / n-lɛlu |
| Kisi | hɔ̀l-téŋ | nì-léŋ | mǐŋ-ndó | cìŋ-ndé | dìɔ̀mù-léŋ | sòndò-ó | nkong | pàà- | o-thɔk | mɛ̀ŋ-ndáŋ | dìò- |
| Sua | (n)-fɔn / i- | n-nihi | (r)-seeny / m- | (r)-wɛy / m- | (n)-dɛmɛtɛ / i- | k-tumbu / i- | m-siin | ŋ-wuh | (ŋ)-taany / i- | m-miny | n-wey / i-; n-konto / i- |
| Gola | éfè | kénû | é-mḭa | késia̰ | ómiè, kémiè, kémièl | óńá̰ | másḛ̀i, másɛ̀n | kégòa, kégwà | kekuu, kekul | mamal, mamæ | edel |
| Limba | foya, hoya ha; pl. taya ta | kuluha ko; pl. ŋaliha ŋa | hutini ha; pl. ta ta | hutiti ha; pl. ta ta | filiŋ ha; pl. tafiliŋ ta | foti ha; pl. ta ta | marēŋ ma, masini ma | kutoli ko; pl. ŋa ŋa, ba ba | kuieŋ ko; pl. ŋa ŋa | mandi ma | kēn ko; pl. ŋakēn ŋa |