The Labials
XXV
m represents the Old Nubian ut, and rarely n (as mare for n&.ppe ; and
the same letters in Coptic. It transliterates Arabic p. Dialectically it interchanges,
though not commonly with the other labials. It does not occur initially in Dair
except in loan-words. Examples :
magga
K.
locust -
banga D.
mili
KD.
bad -
belu D.
moko
KD.
until -
bbko-n KD, n<xvu.\ O.N.
misi
KD.
eye -
pidi Mid.
masa
M.
swn -
passa-r M,d.
meil
Bir.
dory -
wel KD.
meir-ti
Bir.
one -
wer KDM., ber Dai., pirr MaZ.
sim
M.
cress -
siw KD.
sam
M.
be dry -
sow KD.
Nilotic
to f and p as well as m and b in Hamitic.
canal
dura
Ar. faras, Som. far do
A.E. mr, Som. bur
A.E. mr, Som. far valley
A.E. pr-t, Bed. me’are
languages, it appears as m and b in cognate roots ; and
is often equivalent
murti M. horse
mor KDM. tie
mar-ti M.
mare M.
In the other
Nubian m
Examples:
(c) p.
p only occurs in the Midob dialect, and although in the other Nilotic languages,
p and f are variants of one letter, Midob p seems to represent b, m, and w
indifferently in the other dialects. See the entries under initial p in the Dictionary,
and above under m.
p is not a Hamitic letter, except in Egyptian, and also in Hausa where it
varies with f.
(fl) w.
Instances of the interchanges between w and the other labial consonants in
the Nubian dialects may be found above. It regularly represents w in Hamitic
and Nilotic roots ; less commonly the other labials. In Semitic loan-words, it
transliterates Arabic^ ; and Ethiopic ®, and occasionally 4,. Examples :
way DM. fly Tigre fey Shi. wino bird
waiyi M. be well Galla fay Ba. wayu, Nan. wei
There is no distinguishing letter for w in Old Nubian, and it is always
written ott. Similarly in Dinka, there is no w but only u according to Mitter-
rutzner. On the whole, it is better regarded as a semi-vowel rather than as a
d
XXV
m represents the Old Nubian ut, and rarely n (as mare for n&.ppe ; and
the same letters in Coptic. It transliterates Arabic p. Dialectically it interchanges,
though not commonly with the other labials. It does not occur initially in Dair
except in loan-words. Examples :
magga
K.
locust -
banga D.
mili
KD.
bad -
belu D.
moko
KD.
until -
bbko-n KD, n<xvu.\ O.N.
misi
KD.
eye -
pidi Mid.
masa
M.
swn -
passa-r M,d.
meil
Bir.
dory -
wel KD.
meir-ti
Bir.
one -
wer KDM., ber Dai., pirr MaZ.
sim
M.
cress -
siw KD.
sam
M.
be dry -
sow KD.
Nilotic
to f and p as well as m and b in Hamitic.
canal
dura
Ar. faras, Som. far do
A.E. mr, Som. bur
A.E. mr, Som. far valley
A.E. pr-t, Bed. me’are
languages, it appears as m and b in cognate roots ; and
is often equivalent
murti M. horse
mor KDM. tie
mar-ti M.
mare M.
In the other
Nubian m
Examples:
(c) p.
p only occurs in the Midob dialect, and although in the other Nilotic languages,
p and f are variants of one letter, Midob p seems to represent b, m, and w
indifferently in the other dialects. See the entries under initial p in the Dictionary,
and above under m.
p is not a Hamitic letter, except in Egyptian, and also in Hausa where it
varies with f.
(fl) w.
Instances of the interchanges between w and the other labial consonants in
the Nubian dialects may be found above. It regularly represents w in Hamitic
and Nilotic roots ; less commonly the other labials. In Semitic loan-words, it
transliterates Arabic^ ; and Ethiopic ®, and occasionally 4,. Examples :
way DM. fly Tigre fey Shi. wino bird
waiyi M. be well Galla fay Ba. wayu, Nan. wei
There is no distinguishing letter for w in Old Nubian, and it is always
written ott. Similarly in Dinka, there is no w but only u according to Mitter-
rutzner. On the whole, it is better regarded as a semi-vowel rather than as a
d