É. Apor , I. Ormos (ed.): Goldziher Memorial Conference, June 21–22, 2000, Budapest.

JUNGRAITHMAYR, Hermann: Hamitosemitic Features of Chadic

HERRMANN JUNGRAITHMAYR where the partner intruding from the north certainly received much more from the autochthonous ethnic-linguistic communities than the other way round. In other words the Hamitosemitic/Afroasiatic languages penetrating into central Sudan have been exposed to innumerable influences by various 'Nigritic' - Niger-Congo and Nilo-Saharan - languages which resulted in a great degree of linguistic interlacing. In general we may say that the Chadic languages with the highest amount of Sudanic features and admixture are to be found along the southern border line between Nigritic and Hamitosemitic languages as well as in the highly condensed central region (Northern Cameroon). On the other hand, most of the least transformed and mutilated languages are to be found on the eastern and western peripheries. The processes of adaptation to the new linguistic environment have occurred on different levels. One of which is certainly the level of lexical borrowing and replacement (cf. e.g. Wolffand Gerhardt 1977), another one a strong tendency towards levelling of morphophonological differences between Chadic and non-Chadic languages resulting in Kwa-like shapes - CV-stumps - of lexemes. Thus, on the Chadic side we observe processes of wordclipping like the following ones: Mubi Tumak (eastern periphery) (southeastern fringe) 'to drink' (ipfv.) súwáá hé 'to die' (ipfv.) muwáát mä Ron-Daffo Tangale (western periphery) (southern fringe) 'foot, leg' sakur yoo One of the most striking features characteristic of those fringe as well as central area languages is the decisive role and functionally high load of tone in both lexicon and grammar. Many of the Chadic languages, especially those spoken in the southern fringe areas, have replaced the more archaic vowel oppositions by tonal oppositions probably triggered by similar feature systems in neighbouring nonAfroasiatic languages of Niger-Congo origin. For example, among the West Chadic Ron languages, two of them, namely Daffo-Butura and Bokkos, mark the aspectual perfective-imperfective opposition by vowel change (ablaut, apophony) whereas another Ron language, Fyer displays a change of tone (abton, apotony) on the verb stem for the same purpose. For instance: 'to die' pfv. ipfv. Ron - Daffo (ablaut) Möt mwaát - Bokkos (ablaut) Möt mwáát - Fyer (abton) Möt mot (mid tone) (high tone) 146