Reconstruction:Proto-Bantu/ìbèdé
Proto-Bantu
editEtymology
editA borrowing from Western Nilotic, where it referred to sorghum; compare Luo bél (“sorghum”).
Noun
edit*ìbèdé class 5 (plural *màbèdé class 6)[1]
- (Common Bantu) pearl millet
Usage notes
editThis term is shared between many Bantu languages, but a single form cannot be formally reconstructed to the level of Proto-Bantu because of historical or linguistic considerations. Bostoen states that it can be reconstructed to Proto-Eastern Bantu with the meaning "pearl millet".
Descendants
edit- East Bantu
- Northeast Savanna Bantu:
- Southern Bantu:
See also
editReferences
edit- Bostoen, Koen (2006–2007), "Pearl millet in early Bantu speech communities in Central Africa: A reconsideration of the lexical evidence." Afrika und Übersee: 89, 183–213.