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THE ANALYSIS OF DR MOUMOUNI FARMO INDICATES A GENETIC FILIATION BETWEEN SONGHAY AND METREMENKHEMI
Dr. Moumouni Farmo’s scholarly analysis illuminates a fascinating nexus between the Songhay and Metremenkhemi languages, echoing the tradition of academic rigor established by luminaries like Dr. Theophile Obenga. In his meticulous study, Dr. Farmo not only unveils linguistic connections but also delves into the broader context of cultural unity, theological systems, and the shared African heritage—a narrative corroborated by paleontological evidence and the seminal works of scholars such as Cheikh Anta Diop and Theophile Obenga, whose insights from the 1974 Cairo symposium continue to resonate.
Central to Dr. Farmo’s thesis is the narrative of migration, where he draws upon orature and documentary evidence to trace the journey of the Songhay people from the dynastic heartland of Kmt to the West African territories they eventually inhabited. Employing Coptic as a contemporary conduit to the ancient Kemetic language, Dr. Farmo unveils a nuanced understanding of the evolution of Egypto-African languages over time, shedding light on the transformative journey of linguistic heritage through the ages.
Metremenkhemi / Coptic / Songhay
ba / bay / ba: soul
bin.t / boni / bone: bad
ii / eya / ka: to come
s3 / soni / soni: man
At the core of Dr. Farmo’s analysis are the striking linguistic correspondences between Metremenkhemi, Coptic, and Songhay, exemplified by a myriad of putative cognates that traverse realms of meaning and expression. From the concept of the soul (ba/bay/ba) to the notion of haste (aqhu/vahu/vasu), Dr. Farmo’s comparative study unveils a tapestry of linguistic affinity that transcends temporal and geographical boundaries, offering a compelling testament to the enduring legacy of shared linguistic ancestry.
Moreover, Dr. Farmo’s scholarly inquiry extends beyond the confines of Metremenkhemi and Songhay, encompassing a broader comparative analysis that spans multiple African languages. Through meticulous examination, he identifies putative cognates between Songhay and Wolof, as well as other Negro-Egyptian languages, revealing a rich tapestry of linguistic exchange and cultural interaction that underscores the interconnectedness of African linguistic heritage.
The following is a list of putative cognates defined by Dr. Farmo between Metremenkhemi, Songhay and Wolof.
Metremenkhemi / Songhay / Wolof
Anbu / Ambu/ Dabu: surround, enclose
Aqhu / Vahu /Vasu: to hurry
Ker / Ker / Koire: place of habitation
Ata / Data / Dafa: vulva, feminine gender
Dr. Farmo also finds putative cogantes between Songhay and other Negro Egyptian languages
Songhay / Mbochi
gna / nana: mother
ka / ya: to come
pati / pati: to divide
soungey / sondu: sweat
Songhay / Bambara
ben / ban : to finish
bi / bi : today
doni / donkili: sing
fay / fara: to separate
Songhay / Fulani
nine / Ineere: nose
subane / subaade: to choose
Teŋe / Tennde: front
togne / tonyde: to tease
Songhay / Hausa
china / gina: to construct
daye / saye: to buy
kaye / kaka: ancestor
kayne / kane: brother
Songhay / Soninke
bafa / bifi: to lie on your stomach
farkey / fane: year
boko / bole: goitre
djesare / gasere: griot
Intriguingly, Dr. Farmo also elucidates a myriad of phonetic transformations that have occurred between ancient Metremenkhemi and Songhay, highlighting processes such as aphesis, outgrowth, metathesis, deconsonification, voicing, devoicing, lowering, retention, enhancement, lenition, hardening, advancement, and retreat. Through this comprehensive analysis, Dr. Farmo unveils the dynamic nature of linguistic evolution, illustrating how phonetic shifts reflect broader cultural and historical dynamics that shape the linguistic landscape.
Dr. Farmo observes the following transformations in ancient Metremenkhemi and Songhay which are:
Aphesis of the phonemes [a] [b] [n] [e/t] and [s]
Metremenkhemi / Songhay
aheb / he: to cry
ahiro / hiro: military post, frontier
benben / bebe: deaf
huet / hu: house
sfent / fente: to hate
Outgrowth of the phonemes [b] [h] [d]
Metremenkhemi / Songhay
aa / baa: to get along with, increase
am / ham: to input, touch
ounn / hounna: to exist
Metathesis of the phonemes [e/t], [i/b] [a/*k] [y/g]
Metremenkhemi / Songhay
fanet / fante: disgust
ib / bine: heart
bak / gab: hawk
yag / gay: to last last
Deconsonification of the phonemes [t/y] [r/u] [r/i] [t/e] m/i]
Metremenkhemi / Songhay
fat / fay: to separatw
fur / furu: to be pregnant, swell
har / hari: bassin, water
sfent / fente: to hate
kem / kemi in an instant, to blink
Voicing of phonemes [k/g] [s/z]
Metremenkhemi / Songhay
ka / ga: body, person
ank / hang: eye
sam / zamu: to make praise
Devoicing of phonemes [p/b]
Metremenkhemi / Songhay
betes / patas : fall from weakness
Lowering of phonemes [u/o]
Metremenkhemi / Songhay
fu / fo: respect, to salute
Retention of phonemes [n/d]
Metremenkhemi / Songhay
bennen / bende: phallus
Enhancement of phonemes [a/o]
Metremenkhemi / Songhay
ban / bone: bad
Lenition of phonemes [n/y]
Metremenkhemi / Songhay
nes / yessi: to water, quench thirst
Hardening of phonemes [h/t]:
Metremenkhemi / Songhay
hem / tam: to fish
Advancement of phonemes [u/a]
Metremenkhemi / Songhay
maqu / maqati: foot whipping
Retreat of phonemes [e/u]
Metremenkhemi / Songhay
teb / tubal: drum
In conclusion, Dr. Moumouni Farmo’s seminal analysis not only underscores the genetic filiation between Songhay and Metremenkhemi but also offers a compelling narrative of cultural continuity and linguistic evolution across the African continent. His rigorous scholarship not only enriches our understanding of linguistic heritage but also reaffirms the interconnectedness of African cultures and the enduring legacy of shared linguistic ancestry.
Source:
Farmo, Moumouni. “De la parenté entre l’égyptien ancien et le songhay.” Linguistique- langues, no. 12, 2015, pp. Articles.
Farmo, Moumouni. Aux sources de la connaissance directe: la parenté entre l’égyptien ancien et le songhay. Menaibuc, 2008.
2 Comments-
Thanks for sharing, but again this is not the standard historical linguistic method. You stated, “THE ANALYSIS OF DR MOUMOUNI FARMO INDICATES A GENETIC FILIATION BETWEEN SONGHAY AND METREMENKHEMI”, you stated that this data indicates that this is a genetic affiliation. Your examples do not explain that the languages in question are genetically related. 1) This is not a linguistic journal, 2) He offered no reconstruction. For languages to be genetically related they must follow the standard linguistic methodology principles referred to by Trask (2023). For example, your examples do not indicate sound correspondences just mere random similarities nor does it explain what period of Medew Neter he is comparing (Old, Middle, New, Late). He places vowels in between the Medew Neter yet, no explanation of how he retrieved his Medew Neter reconstruction. Also, he doesn’t reconstruct the parent language which is of the 6th and 7th principles of comparative linguistics (Trask, 2023). This is not the standard linguistic method we are learning or most historical linguistic journals would accept.
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To look at the standard method, please review Trask, 2023, he explains every step of the historical linguistic methodology, or review, Kambon’s dissertation on how the method looks when demonstration sound correspondences that lead to your reconstruction.
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