Shemya (tàar ʃàmɲà) is the language of the Sinyar people. It is traditionally viewed as Central Sudanic language spoken in Chad and formerly in Darfur, Sudan. It is variously spelled Shamya, Shamyan, Shemya, Sinya, and known as Symiarta, Taar Shamyan, Zimirra.
The language is spoken in Goz Beïda, Chad and Foro Boranga, Sudan. There are two level tones and downstepped low tones. Word order is SVO.Boyeldieu, Pascal. 2013. Case alignment(s) in Sinyar. Paper presented at the Nilo-Saharan Linguistics Colloquium, 22-24 May, 2013.Boyeldieu, Pascal. 2015. Case alignment(s) in Sinyar. In Angelika Mietzner and Anne Storch (eds.), Nilo-Saharan: Models and Descriptions, 21-36. Cologne: Köppe.
Dimmendaal classifies it as a language isolate, whereas Blench groups it with Formona.Blench, Roger. Central Sudanic overview.
Doornbos records 18 Sinyar clans. The Kijaar clan, located close to the Kujargé, likely intermarried with the Kujargé.
Lexicon Sinyar numerals from Boyeldieu (2013):Boyeldieu, Pascal. 2013. Sinyar numerals.
Numerals 1 kàllà 2 róò 3 mùʈʈà 4 ùssà 5 mòy 6 mìccà 7 mòorsò 8 màartà 9 mànɖéy 10 ʈìyà
Sinyar appears to have a Bongo–Bagirmi superstratum and a non-Bongo–Bagirmi substratum. Some lexical items in Sinyar have cognates in Bongo–Bagirmi languages (particularly the neighboring Yulu-Gula group), while others do not.Boyeldieu, Pascal. 2013. Sinyar and SBB (Central Sudanic): genetic relationship or contact? Paper presented at Linguistique diachronique et reconstruction : méthodes, acquis, avancées récentes. Labex EFL. 1-6 July 2013.
Sinyar lexical items without Bongo-Bagirmi cognates Gloss Sinyar bee, honey sìmír black kìttì buffalo kàjìbìl come uwe / weeɲ deep cuggol dry arfa ear ùrà leaf ìi elephant kártí foot gwàar leg kàffà grass kàanà head sùɓó hunger mùsù kill wii long ʃùggòl moon kwànjà neck kwàalà new sìyèer night dìkìttì nose ɲàrmá person cé / céè; ƒítì place dì placenta kàɗù plait, to urɓa / urmba rain, to weeri (-ooru) red abbal rope kwàár smoke úʃú snake nɖùbbòl steal maggal / mangal stone, grindstone gòl wet wicce (-ucce)
Sinyar lexical items with Bongo-Bagirmi cognates Gloss Sinyar beget wiʄe / wiɲe bird wèl breast mbàár die wille dog ɓìsì drink iya eat wiɲ eye kwòm fire fòɗù fish kwùnjó grease, oil ìbì horn kòjjù hot uŋŋa I màá know ugol / ungol make a pot uɓa / umba meat ìjjà mouth tàar name èerè ox, cow ìccà seed kùfò sharp affa skin ànnà seep suɗo / sunjo three mùʈʈà tree kàggá two róò who? ɗèe- goat fìyà gruel, porridge fìryà hair fìí warthog fòɗú sun dkàjjà water, thirst kùjá urine wèrjí tie, to wirja / wirnja
Pronouns Sinyar pronouns: Sinyar pronouns Gloss Sinyar 1S màalé, (màá) 2S ìllé 3S nàalé, (nàá) 1P.du cìngé 1P.ex? cìyé 1P.in cèesá 2P? sìngé; sèesá 3P nìngé
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