The following list of Proto-Oti-Volta reconstructions is from Manessy (1975: 305-308).
Note: French glosses are directly from the original source. English glosses, not in the source, are translations in progress.
| French gloss |
English gloss |
Proto-Oti-Volta
|
| abeille |
bee |
*s₃e / *s₃i
|
| acheter |
buy |
*da
|
| s'agenouiller |
kneel |
*gban
|
| aller |
go |
*to; *cen
|
| ami |
friend |
*do
|
| âne |
donkey |
*bon
|
| année |
year |
*bɪn
|
| appeler |
call |
*yi / *yu
|
| arbre |
tree |
*yi / tiː
|
| arc |
bow |
*ta / *tam / *to / *tom
|
| argile |
clay |
*ya / *yag / *yog
|
| s'asseoir |
sit |
*kal
|
| attacher |
tie |
*bo / *bob; *lod
|
| attraper |
catch |
*mo; *ku
|
| aujourd'hui |
today |
*din / *den
|
| autre |
other |
*to / ta
|
| aveugle |
blind |
*z₂om / *z₂oːm
|
| babouin |
baboon |
*kpad
|
| bague |
ring |
*bɪ; *ɲoːgm
|
| balai |
broom |
*s₁a / *s₁aː
|
| balayer |
sweep |
*pɪ
|
| baobab |
baobab |
*to / *toː / *tod / *toːd; *te / *teː
|
| battre |
beat |
*bʊ; *po
|
| blanc |
white |
*peː
|
| bœuf |
cow |
*na / *nag
|
| boire |
drink |
*ɲu
|
| bois |
wood |
*da / *do
|
| bouche |
mouth |
*noː
|
| bracelet |
bracelet |
*ban / *baːn
|
| bras |
arm |
*ba / *bag; *kpan
|
| brasser |
brew |
*s₁a
|
| brousse |
bush (uncultivated land) |
*mo
|
| brûler |
burn |
*ɲo
|
| caïlcédrat |
Khaya senegalensis |
*kʊg
|
| calebasse |
calabash |
*ŋman; *wam
|
| calebasse (plante) |
calabash (plant) |
*tun
|
| carquois |
quiver |
*lo
|
| cauri |
cowrie |
*li / *lig
|
| ceinture |
belt |
*s₂a / *s₂e
|
| cendre |
ash |
*ta / *to
|
| cent |
hundred |
*ko / *kob
|
| chanter |
sing |
*yum / *yi
|
| chaud |
hot |
*tʊ / *to
|
| chemin |
path |
*s₃o
|
| chèvre |
goat |
*bʊː / *bʊd
|
| chien |
dog |
*ba / *bo / *bu
|
| ciel |
sky |
*ta / *to; *s₂a
|
| cinq |
five |
*nu
|
| construire |
build |
*ma / *me
|
| corde |
rope |
*ŋmi
|
| corne |
horn |
*ŋi / *ŋin
|
| coucher |
lay down |
*do / *doː / *don / *doːn
|
| coudre |
sew |
*s₁e
|
| couper |
cut |
*ce
|
| courber |
bend |
*go
|
| couvrir |
cover |
*pi
|
| crapaud |
toad |
*pon
|
| creuser |
dig |
*tu
|
| crocodile |
crocodile |
*ɲa; *ya
|
| cuisse |
thigh |
*kpe
|
| cul |
buttocks |
*mu(?); *ni
|
| danser |
dance |
*s₁e / *s₁a; ŋa
|
| déféquer |
defecate |
*n / (?); *ɲa / *ɲo / *ɲi
|
| demain |
tomorrow |
*s₁i / *s₁u / *s₁a
|
| dent |
tooth |
*n / n
|
| descendre |
go down |
*s₁i
|
| deux |
two |
*le
|
| devin |
fortuneteller |
*bo
|
| Diospyros |
Diospyros |
*ga
|
| dire |
say |
*bi; *tʊg; *s₁e / *s₁o; *we
|
| dix |
ten |
*pi / *pu
|
| dolo |
millet beer |
*daːm
|
| donner |
give |
*pa; *tɪ
|
| dormir |
sleep |
*go
|
| dos |
back |
*poː
|
| eau |
water |
*ɲa
|
| écorce |
bark |
*wa / *we / *wo
|
| écouter |
listen |
*wʊm
|
| emplir |
fill |
*s₁u (?)
|
| enfant |
child |
*bi
|
| entraver |
impede |
*da / *deg
|
| esclave |
slave |
*yam / *yom
|
| éternuer |
sneeze |
*ki
|
| étranger |
foreigner |
*s₂an
|
| excrément |
excrement |
*bin
|
| faim |
hunger |
*ko
|
| faire |
do |
*ŋa
|
| farine |
flour |
*z₁o / *z₁u
|
| femelle |
female |
*ni; *ɲan
|
| femelle neuve |
new female |
*s₁e / *s₁ad
|
| femme |
women |
*po / *pu
|
| fer |
iron |
*kud
|
| fermer / ouvrir |
close / open |
*ŋu
|
| feuille |
leaf |
*va
|
| ficher |
file |
*kpa
|
| Ficus |
Ficus |
*kankam
|
| fiel, hile |
gall, bile |
*ya
|
| flèche |
arrow |
*piːm / *peːm
|
| fleur |
flower |
*pu / *puː
|
| force |
strength |
*fa
|
| forgeron |
blacksmith |
*mad
|
| frère aîné |
eldest brother |
*ma
|
| froid |
cold |
*wa
|
| fromager |
Ceiba pentandra |
*gʊm
|
| front |
forehead |
*tin / *tun
|
| garder |
keep |
*cem / *cim
|
| gauche |
left |
*ga
|
| genou |
knee |
*dun
|
| gombo |
okra |
*man
|
| graisse |
fat |
*kpa
|
| grand, gros |
big, large |
*kpe
|
| grand parent |
grandparent |
*ya
|
| grenier |
granary |
*bo
|
| hache |
axe |
*la; *kpen / *kpon / *kpan
|
| haricot |
bean |
*tu / *tun
|
| hippopotame |
hippopotamus |
*ŋem
|
| huit |
eight |
*nan / *nin / *ni
|
| igname |
yam |
*nu / *no
|
| intelligence |
intelligence |
*yam
|
| jambe |
leg |
*ta
|
| jeune |
young |
*pa
|
| joue |
play |
*ya; *kpi / *kpe; *tan
|
| jour |
day |
*da
|
| kapokier |
Bombax costatum |
*vo
|
| karité |
shea |
*tam; kpi
|
| labourer |
plow |
*kpa; *ko
|
| lance |
spear |
*kpan
|
| langue |
tongue |
*lɪm / *lam; *z₂ɪ(?)
|
| se laver |
wash oneself |
*s₁o
|
| se lever |
stand up |
*ŋis / *ŋig
|
| lézard |
lizard |
*bun
|
| lièvre |
hare |
*s₁om / *s₁um
|
| long |
long |
*ve / *vo
|
| louche |
ladle |
*pi / *pu
|
| lune |
moon |
*ci; *ŋmad
|
| main |
hand |
*nu / *na / *ni
|
| maison |
house |
*de / *di / *do
|
| maladie |
disease |
*ba / *be / *bu
|
| mâle |
male |
*da
|
| malt |
malt |
*kpa
|
| manger |
eat |
*dɪ
|
| mari |
husband |
*s₂ɪd / *s₂od
|
| marigot, rivière |
creek, river |
*bo
|
| mauvais |
bad |
*beː
|
| médecine |
medicine |
*tɪ
|
| mère |
mother |
*ɲa / *ɲo; ne / na
|
| meule |
millstone |
*na
|
| mil |
millet |
*z₁o
|
| mil hâtif |
early millet |
*nad
|
| milieu |
middle |
*s₁u / *s₁i
|
| mille |
thousand |
*tus
|
| molette |
molette |
*bi
|
| montagne |
mountain |
*ta
|
| monter |
go up |
*dʊ; *z₂o
|
| mordre |
bite |
*dʊm; *ɲe / *ɲi
|
| mortier |
mortar |
*te / *toː
|
| morve |
snot, nasal mucus |
*me
|
| mouche |
fly (insect) |
*z₂u / *z₂un
|
| mourir |
die |
*ku; *kpi
|
| moustique |
mosquito |
*dum
|
| mouton |
sheep |
*pe
|
| natte |
mat |
*s₁on
|
| néré |
African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) |
*dʊ
|
| neuf |
new |
*wa
|
| nez |
nose |
*me
|
| noir |
black |
*s₁ob
|
| nom |
name |
*yi / *yʊ
|
| nouveau |
new |
*pa
|
| nuage |
cloud |
*wad
|
| œil |
eye |
*ni / *nun
|
| œuf |
egg |
*je
|
| oiseau |
bird |
*nin / *non
|
| oreille |
ear |
*tʊ
|
| os |
bone |
*kob; *kpab
|
| palmier |
palm tree |
*kpa / *kpe
|
| peau |
skin |
*gban
|
| père |
father |
*te; *ba
|
| personne |
person |
*nɪ; *ɲɪ
|
| petit |
small |
*bil
|
| phacochère |
warthog |
*doː
|
| pied |
foot |
*na
|
| piler |
pound |
*to
|
| pilon |
pestle |
*ton / *ten / *tin
|
| pintade |
guinea fowl |
*kpan
|
| pleurer |
cry |
*we / *wi
|
| poil |
body hair |
*kob
|
| poisson |
fish |
*z₂ɪm / *z₂ʊm
|
| porc-épic |
porcupine |
*s₁aːm / *s₁eːm
|
| porter (sur la tête) |
carry (on the head) |
*tʊg
|
| posséder |
own |
*s₂a
|
| possesseur |
owner |
*ti
|
| pot |
pot |
*s₂o / *s₂a / *s₂e; *bo
|
| potasse |
potash |
*z₂em
|
| poule |
hen |
*ko
|
| poumon |
lung |
*fu
|
| préparer le to |
make TZ |
*mon
|
| puits, point d'eau |
well, waterpoint |
*bu
|
| quatre |
four |
*naː / nasi (?)
|
| queue |
tail |
*z₂u
|
| racine |
root |
*ɲa / *ɲe
|
| rat |
rat |
*yu / *yo
|
| rentrer chez soi |
go home |
*ku
|
| respirer |
breathe |
*vʊ
|
| rêver |
dream |
*da
|
| rire |
laugh |
*la
|
| riz |
rice |
*mu
|
| rosée |
dew |
*ma
|
| rôtir |
roast |
*vu
|
| rouge |
red |
*mo
|
| rouler |
roll |
*bil
|
| sable |
sand |
*bi
|
| sandale |
sandal |
*tag
|
| sang |
blood |
*z₁ɪm
|
| sauce |
sauce |
*kpun
|
| savon |
soap |
*ce
|
| scorpion |
scorpion |
*nam
|
| sec |
dry |
*ko / *ku
|
| sein |
breast |
*bɪː / *bɪːs
|
| sel |
salt |
*ya
|
| semer en poquets |
sow in pockets |
*bʊd
|
| semer à la volée |
sow on the fly |
*pag
|
| serpent |
snake |
*wa
|
| singe |
monkey |
*wan; *ŋman
|
| soleil |
sun |
*wɪn; *ye / *yi
|
| sortie |
exit |
*ye / *yi
|
| soumbala |
sumbala |
*z₂on
|
| sourd |
deaf |
*wʊm
|
| sourd-muet |
deaf and mute |
*mu
|
| se taire |
to be quiet |
*sin
|
| tamarin |
tamarind |
*pu
|
| tambour |
drum |
*gangan; *ben / *bin; *lom
|
| termite |
termite |
*tu
|
| terre |
earth, soil |
*tan / *tɪn
|
| tête |
head |
*z₁u
|
| tige de mil |
millet stalk |
*kan
|
| tirer (à l'arc) |
shoot (a bow) |
*to / *ta
|
| to |
tuo zaafi |
*s₃aː
|
| tomate |
tomato |
*kʊ / *ka
|
| tomber |
fall |
*le / *lo / *lu
|
| tordre |
twist |
*ŋma / *ŋme
|
| tortue |
turtle, tortoise |
*kud
|
| tousser |
cough |
*ko
|
| travailler |
to work |
*tʊ
|
| trois |
three |
*ta
|
| tuer |
kill |
*kʊ
|
| un |
one |
*yen; *be / *ba
|
| varan |
monitor lizard |
*wʊ
|
| vautour |
vulture |
*yob
|
| veine |
vein |
*giː; *je / *ji
|
| vendre |
sell |
*koː
|
| vent |
wind |
*vad
|
| ventre |
belly |
*pʊː
|
| viande |
meat |
*nam
|
| vieux |
old |
*kpe
|
| visage |
face |
*nɪn / *nun
|
| Vitex |
Vitex doniana |
*ŋa
|
| voir |
see |
*ɲa; *wa / *wi
|
| voler, dérober |
steal |
*z₁u
|
References[edit]
- Manessy, Gabriel. 1975. Les Langues Oti-Volta. (Langues et Civilisations a Tradition Orale, 15.) Paris: SELAF. 314pp.
