The Moru–Madi languages of the Central Sudanic language family are a cluster of closely related languages spoken in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda. Moru is spoken by 100,000 people, and Madi is spoken by twice that number. The most populous languages are Aringa of Uganda, with close to a million speakers, and Lugbara, with 1.6 million.
Languages The languages in this cluster are found across three countries: Uganda (Madi, Lugbara, Aringa, S. Madi); South Sudan (Aringa, Madi, Lolubo, Avukaya, Kaliko, Moru, and Logo); and the Democratic Republic of Congo (Lugbara, Avukaya, Kaliko, and Logo). Moru (Wadi variety divergent) Avokaya Keliko Omi Lugbara Okollo–Ogoko–Rigbo Logo Aringa (Lower Lugbara) Madi (Moyo, Adjumani (Oyuwi), Pandikeri, Lokai, Burulo dialects) Olubo (Lolubo)
The name Madi The name Madi is used for various peoples in the region. There is a tendency, especially in the Acholi region of northern Uganda, to refer to anyone from West Nile Region as a Madi, even the Kakwa. The only group in this region who are never called Madi are the Alur.
Joseph Pasquale Crazzolara,Crazzolara, J. P. (2017). A study of the Logbara (Madi) language: Grammar and vocabulary. Routledge. [Originally published 1960] for example, states that "all Logbara [...] agree that they are of the Madi nation, that they are Madi. They are called Madi by the Alur of Okooro, their immediate neighbours, in Bunyoro and Buganda." Similarly, the linguist A. N. Tucker described the neighboring Keliko people who occupy the high plateau near the Logbara, as having the "real name Madi".The Eastern Sudanic Languages. By A. N. Tucker. vol. I. 434 pp. Oxford University Press, 1940 However, the Keliko regard themselves as Keliko rather than as Madi.
Comparative vocabulary Sample basic vocabulary of Moru–Madi languages from Boone & Watson (1996):Boone, Douglas; Richard L. Watson (editors). 1996. Moru-Madi survey report. Nairobi, Kenya: Summer Institute of Linguistics.
Language Dialect eye ear nose tooth tongue mouth blood bone tree water eat name Moru Kâdiro mi bi kʊmvʊ si laɖa kala kari kʊwa cɛ jǐ ɔɲa ʌvuru Moru Lakamadi mi bi kʊmvʊ si laɖa kala kari kʊwa icɛ, cɛ jǐ ɔɲa ʌvuru Moru Miza mi bi kʊmvʊ si laɖa kala kari kʊwa icɛ, cɛ jǐ ɔɲa ʌvuru Moru Âgyi mi bi kʊmvʊ si laɖa kala kari kʷa icɛ ìjí aɲa ru Moru Ândri mi bi imvʊ si laɖa kala ari fā ifɛ ìjí ɔɲa ru Moru Bâribâ mi bi imvʊ si laɖa kala ari kʷa ifɛ ìjí ɔɲa ru Moru Wadi mi bi kʊmvʊ si laɖa ti kari kʷa cɛ ìjí aɲa ru Avokaya Sudan lìfí bí ɔ̀mvɔ̄ sí lànɖā tī àrɪ́ fà fɛ̄ lùmvū ɲà rú Avokaya Zaïre mǐfí bí ɔ̀mvɔ̄ sí làɖā tī àrɪ́ fà fɛ̄ yǐ ɲà rú Logo Ogambi, Doka, Lolia, Obeleba, Bhagira mì bí kɔ̀mvɔ̄ sí làɖā tī kàrɪ fà fā yǐ ɲā rú Logo Bari Kanzako mìkífí ɓí kɔ̀mvɔ̄ sí làɖā tī kàrɪ̄ fà fɛ̄ yǐ ɲā rú Logo Bari West mì bí kɔ̀mvɔ̄ sí làɖā tī kàrɪ̄ fà fɛ̄ yǐ ɲā rú Logo Bari Mandra ɲɛ̌fɪ́ ɓí ɔ̀mvɔ̄ sí làɖā tī àrɪ́ fà fɛ̄ ɛ̀yí ɔ̀ɲā rú Kaliko Madi-Didi mì, mīfí bí ɔ̀mvɔ̄ sí àɖā tī kàrɪ́, àrɪ̀ fà fā, fʌ̄tī yǐ ɲā rú Kaliko Southwest mī, mīfí bí ɔmvɔ̄ sí àɖā tí àrɪ́ fā fɛ́ yǐ ɲā rú Kaliko Rapaba mī bí ɔmvɔ̄ sí ālāɖā tɔ́gʊ́ àrɪ́ fà fɛ́ yǐ ɲā rú Kaliko Madi-Dogo mīfí bí ɔ̀mvɔ̄ sí àɖā - - - pʌ̀tì yǐ ɲā rú Kaliko Southeast mī bí ʊ̀mvʊ̄ sí áɖā tī, tí àrɪ́ fà peti yǐ, ìjí ɲā rú Kaliko Omi mǐfà bí ɔ̀mbɔ̄ sí àɖā tī àrɪ́ fàlágɔ́ fʌ̄tī yǐ ɲā rú Okollo mule bí ōmbʊ́ sí áɖā tílɛ́ àrɪ́ cɔ̀ɔ́ pʌ̄tí yǐ ɲá rú Ogoko mìfī bí ɔ̀mvʊ̄ sí ɪ́ɖɛ̄ tī àrɪ́ cɔ̀kɔ́ pàtí yǐ ɲà rú Lugbara Zaire (Lu, Zaki, Abedzu) mìlɛ̄ bí ɔ̀mvū sí aɖa tī àrɪ́ fàlákɔ́ pʌ̄tí yǐ ɲa rú Lugbara Uganda (Vurra, Ayivu) mīlɛ́ bí ɔ̀mvʊ̄ sí āɖɛ̄ tī àrɪ́ fàlákɔ́ pʌ̄tí yǐ ɲa rú Maracha mìfī bí ɔ̀mvʊ̄ sí ɛ̄ɖɛ̀ tī àrɪ́ fàlákɔ́ pʌ̀tí yǐ ɲá rú Terego mìfī bí ɔ̀mvʊ̄ sí ɛ̄ɖɛ̄ tī àrɪ́ fàlákɔ́ pàtíkè yǐ ɲá rú Aringa mīfí bílé ɔ̀mvʊ̄ sí ɪ̀ɖā tī àrɪ́ ìfà ɪ̀fɛ́ ìjí ɲá rú Madi Uganda mī bí ɔ̀mvɔ̄ sí lɛ̀ɖá ti àrɪ́ hʷa kʷɛ èyí ɲā rú Madi Lokai mí bí ɔ̀mvɔ̄ sí lɛ̄dá tí àrɪ, ari kʷà kʷɛ̄ ēyí ɲā rú Madi Pandikeri mí bí ɔ̀mvɔ̄ sí lɛ̄dá tí ɛ̀rɪ kʷà kʷɛ̄ īyí ɲā rú Lulubo mī bí ɔmbɔ̄ sí lɛ̄dā tī ɛ̀rɪ̄ kʷā kʷɛ̄ īyí ɲā rú
References
Nilo-Saharan list (Blench 2000)