Comparison between Amazigh languages/dialects (Tuaregs, Kabyle and Sanhja)

[Username]

After watching this, I'm wondering if a Cushitic version would work, would they be able to understand anything, or are the Cushitic languages not similar at all?

 

[SOMALI GENERAL]

It can be done, but it'll be harder considering the very low intelligibility between Cushitic languages, since they're so distant from each other. Whereas, Amazigh Languages[some think there's only one Amazigh language with different dialects] are close to each other and the similarities can more easily be detected.

 

[Apollo]

Cushitic is about the same age as Indo-European. @Username

Somali vs Oromo would be like either Celtic vs Germanic or maybe like Swiss German vs Swedish (not that intelligible).

 

[Username]

Cushitic is about the same age as Indo-European. @Username

Somali vs Oromo would be like either Celtic vs Germanic or maybe like Swiss German vs Swedish (not that intelligible).

Damn, I knew Afro-Asiatic was older than Indo-European but didn't know it was by that much

 

[The alchemist]

Cushitic is about the same age as Indo-European. @Username

Somali vs Oromo would be like either Celtic vs Germanic or maybe like Swiss German vs Swedish (not that intelligible).

It can be older than this, even pre-dating the mixture dates of the distinct groups. If we assume proto-Afro Asiatic is 15kya, then Cushitic is likely a couple of millennials older than Indo-Europen.

 

[Apollo]

It can be older than this, even pre-dating the mixture dates of the distinct groups. If we assume proto-Afro Asiatic is 15kya, then Cushitic is likely a couple of millennials older than Indo-Europen.

I think they were a broadly united group for a few millennia after PAA. Oromo doesn't seem that extremely far away from Somali linguistically, look at the basic Oromo words (numbers, water, town, basic words etc). A bit too much similarity, but also not close either. I think the Oromo-Somali difference is either on the level of Celtic-Germanic or the two most distant Germanic languages.

 

[Username]

Cushitic is about the same age as Indo-European. @Username

Somali vs Oromo would be like either Celtic vs Germanic or maybe like Swiss German vs Swedish (not that intelligible).

Btw, if Cushitic is that old, shouldn't these Berber languages be that old too?

Why can they understand each other compared to Cushites?

 

[Apollo]

Btw, if Cushitic is that old, shouldn't these Berber languages be that old too?

Why can they understand each other compared to Cushites?

They roamed around more and conquered each other in the Bronze Age. Berbers are paternally a very inbred population. Their version of E1b1b1 (E-M81) is only as old as the Somali version (E-Y18629), just ~2,800 years. You could almost see Moroccan-Algerian Berbers like Maxa and Maay while Tuaregs are like the Rendille.

 

[The alchemist]

I think they were a broadly united group for a few millennia after PAA. Oromo doesn't seem that extremely far away from Somali linguistically, look at the basic Oromo words (numbers, water, town, basic words etc). A bit too much similarity, but also not close either. I think the Oromo-Somali difference is either on the level of Celtic-Germanic or the two most distant Germanic languages.

Didn't Cushitic split after Omotic? Oromo and Somali are linguistically maybe not that far removed. It is best to compare Beja and Somali. I think Cushitic is a bit older than Indo-European -- I can't remember the exact wording or the content, but I remember reading that Chadic got some Beja loanwords, this can be an indication of how ancient Cushitic is.