Name That Language!

[Vijay]

Is it Niger-Congo?

[Nortaneous]

Is it Niger-Congo?

according to Encyclopedia Britannica, yes

[Karch]

Is the source you took this text from older than the 1950's?

[bradrn]

Is it from one of Mande/Dogon/Ijoid/Kordofanian? Or is it Atlantic–Congo?

[Nortaneous]

Is the source you took this text from older than the 1950's?

yes - old enough that <ch> /x/

Is it from one of Mande/Dogon/Ijoid/Kordofanian? Or is it Atlantic–Congo?

the former

[Karch]

Is it a "Kordofanian" language?

[Nortaneous]

Is it a "Kordofanian" language?

no

[bradrn]

Well, this doesn’t look Mande or Dogon, so… Ijoid? Defaka?

[Karch]

doesn't look Ijoid to me either, and <ch> /x/ suggests that this text was taken by a German researcher (or missionary), so Mande?

[Nortaneous]

doesn't look Ijoid to me either, and <ch> /x/ suggests that this text was taken by a German researcher (or missionary), so Mande?

yes (and it was indeed taken by a German-speaking missionary, although I'm not sure which country he was from)

[Karch]

Susu?

[bradrn]

Susu?

I looked at Duport’s grammar already, but discarded it because the orthography is completely wrong (uses ⟨χ⟩ instead of ⟨ch⟩). I will be so upset if it turns out to be Susu anyway.

I might as well have a go as well: Soninke?

[Nortaneous]

Susu?

yes - it's from John Godfrey Wilhelm's translation of the Book of Matthew

[bradrn]

Susu?

yes

Seriously? What source did you get it from?

[Nortaneous]

Susu?

yes

Seriously? What source did you get it from?

there was like a five second window for me to get ninjad in, how'd you do that. see edit

[bradrn]

there was like a five second window for me to get ninjad in, how'd you do that. see edit

I dunno, just one of those coincidences I guess.

Anyway, what are the chances that the same obscure Mande language would be documented by two separate missionaries, both in the 19th century, and I would find only the one with the wrong orthography? Most languages only have one obscure 19th century missionary.

[Karch]

Mès-meakim epe sàpra ma-màanem, tis ka in watmat kàp-hari; usus epe manengop duv ndad-kahavèkat. Koⁱ-hu ngat upe rah kindap-kumàkem. Oramheⁱs-ngat daᵉt. Tis ka kadum-ᵒà usak; karik dum-kusàkti, ja kadis-ᵒà akobea; tanama ndumì-ᵒarau, a ahi-mànem epe.

[Vijay]

Is this language Austronesian?

[Karch]

No.

[Vijay]

Is it a Papuan language?

it was indeed taken by a German-speaking missionary, although I'm not sure which country he was from

Apparently, he was from Strasbourg, in which case I guess he was from France.