The Sam Languages

The Sam languages are spoken in the Eastern African countries of Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. They include Rendille, Boni and the various dialects of the Somali dialect cluster. The term "Sam" refers to a closely-knit unit of Cushitic languages within the Omo-Tana (formerly called " Somaloid" or Macro-Somali) branch of Lowland East Cushitic. The Sam-speaking people originate from the Ethiopian Highlands. During the last two millennia, it is claimed here, they took possession of the arid plains of northeastern Kenya, Somalia and eastern Ethiopia. In the present paper an attempt is made at reconstructing aspects of the history of the Sam languages.