Bomitaba language

Last updated
Bomitaba
Native to Republic of Congo, Central African Republic
Native speakers
9,800 (2000) [1]
Dialects
  • Northern (Matoki)
  • Central (Epena)
Language codes
ISO 639-3 zmx
Glottolog bomi1238
C14 [2]

Bomitaba (Mbomitaba) is a Bantu language of the Republic of Congo, with a couple hundred speakers in the Central African Republic.

Maho (2009) lists the C141 Enyele (Inyele), C142 Bondongo languages, which do not have ISO codes, as being closest to Bomitaba, [2] as well as C143 Mbonzo (also known as Bonjo or Impfondo), which does have an ISO code. [3]

Bomitaba is spoken in the northern part of the Congo, particularly on the banks of the Likouala-aux-Herbes river north of Epena. South of Epena the people identify as ethnically Bomitaba but speak the Dibole language, as the term 'Bomitaba' likely arose only during the colonial period. [4]

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References

  1. ↑ Bomitaba at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. 1 2 Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. ↑ Eberhard, David M., Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2023. Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Twenty-sixth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. https://www.ethnologue.com/language/bok/
  4. ↑ LEITCH, Myles, and Myles Leich. “LANGUAGE AND DIALECT IN EPENA DISTRICT SOUTH.” Annales Aequatoria, vol. 30, 2009, pp. 808-9. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25836953. Accessed 27 May 2023.


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