Proto-NigerâÂÂCongo is the hypothetical reconstructed proto-language of the proposed NigerâÂÂCongo language family.
Unlike Nilo-Saharan, the NigerâÂÂCongo language phylum is accepted by mainstream linguists and Africanists. AtlanticâÂÂCongo (roughly, NigerâÂÂCongo but excluding the Mande, Kru, Siamou, Kordofanian, Dogon and Ijoid languages) is accepted by Glottolog 4.4.
Blench (2006, 2016) proposes that Proto-NigerâÂÂCongo originated about 11,000–10,000 years before present in the western part of the "Green Sahara" of Africa (roughly the Sahel and southern Sahara), and that its dispersal can be correlated with the spread of the bow and arrow by migrating hunter-gatherers.
Larry Hyman (2016) reconstructs two contrastive level tones for Proto-NigerâÂÂCongo, which are:
Proto-NigerâÂÂCongo is traditionally assumed to have had a disyllabic root structure similar to that of Proto-Bantu, namely (C)V-CVCV (Williamson 2000, etc.). However, Roger Blench (2016) proposes a trisyllabic (CVCVCV) syllabic structure for Proto-NigerâÂÂCongo roots, while Konstantin Pozdniakov (2016) suggests that the main prototypical structure of Proto-NigerâÂÂCongo roots is *CVC, along with disyllabic, trisyllabic, and other variations.
Noun classes can be reconstructed for Proto-AtlanticâÂÂCongo, and these are sometimes assumed to be Proto-NigerâÂÂCongo. Noun class prefixes in Proto-AtlanticâÂÂCongo include:
Below are some NigerâÂÂCongo noun class markers (Good 2020:145, from Schadeberg 1989:72):
Below are some Proto-Niger/AtlanticâÂÂCongo, Proto-Bantu, and Proto-Atlantic verbal extensions (Good 2020:146, from Hyman 2007:157):
For example, in Swahili:
Güldemann's (2018) Proto-NigerâÂÂCongo pronoun reconstructions, for the first and second person pronouns (singular and plural), are given below.
Babaev (2013) is a detailed survey of pronouns in NigerâÂÂCongo languages, along with detailed reconstructions.
Konstantin Pozdniakov (2018) has published a detailed reconstruction of , as well as comprehensive reconstructions for the lower-order branches of the NigerâÂÂCongo phylum. Pozdniakov (2018: 293) and Güldemann (2018: 147) reconstruct the following numerals for Proto-NigerâÂÂCongo.
The numerals 6-9 are formed by combining lower numerals, while âÂÂ20â is derived from âÂÂpersonâÂÂ.
There is currently no comprehensive, systematic reconstruction for Proto-NigerâÂÂCongo lexical roots. Nevertheless, quasi-reconstructions (preliminary, tentative reconstructions, which are marked using the number sign #) have been attempted by Roger Blench, who is currently compiling a NigerâÂÂCongo etymological dictionary. Some examples from Blench (2016):
's reconstruction of Proto-Western Nigritic (roughly equivalent to Proto-AtlanticâÂÂCongo) was published in 2 volumes in 1976 and 1977.
Blench (2009) lists various NigerâÂÂCongo quasi-reconstructions for plants with important economic uses (note that not all of them necessarily reconstruct to Proto-NigerâÂÂCongo). These roots are generally widespread areal forms (Wanderworts), with some of them also found in Afroasiatic and Nilo-Saharan languages. A few forms are also added from some of Blench's other works (2006, 2012, 2016).
Other plant names with widespread areal distributions in West Africa:
Below are some quasi-reconstructions of NigerâÂÂCongo areal forms for animal names given by Blench (2007), with some reconstructions also based on Blench (2006).