| Population |
2,000,000 in Zambia (1993 Johnstone), 25% of the population, including 741,114 Bemba, 32,022 Luunda, 5,190 Shila, 26,429 Tabwa, 16,833 Cishinga, 28,172 Kabende, 6,706 Mukulu, 42,298 Ng'umbo, 14,040 Twa-Unga (1969 census). Population total all countries 2,150,000 or more. |
| Region |
Northern, Copperbelt and Luapula provinces. Possibly in Zimbabwe. Also spoken in Botswana, DRC, Malawi, Tanzania. |
| Alternate names |
CHIBEMBA, ICHIBEMBA, WEMBA, CHIWEMBA |
| Dialects |
LEMBUE, LOMOTUA (LOMOTWA), NGOMA, NWESI, TOWN BEMBA, LUUNDA (LUAPULA), CHISHINGA, KABENDE, MUKULU, NG'UMBO, TWA OF BANGWEULU, UNGA. |
| Classification |
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, M, Bemba (M.40). |
| Comments |
Town Bemba has a Bemba base with heavy codeswitching with English and neighboring Bantu languages. Town Bemba is a widely used lingua franca in urban, not rural areas, and it has higher social status than other languages except English. Bemba is recognized for educational and administrative purposes. Language of wider communication. Dictionary. SVO. Newspapers, radio programs. Traditional religion, Christian. Bible 1956-1983. |
| Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Language name |
BEMBA |
| Population |
120,000 in Shila (1972 Barrett). |
| Alternate names |
ICHIBEMBA, WEMBA, CHIWEMBA |
| Dialects |
LEMBUE, LOMOTUA (LOMOTWA), NGOMA, NWESI, SHILA. |
| Comments |
Language of wider communication. Shila: traditional religion, Christian. Bible 1956-1983. See main entry under Zambia. |
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| Tanzania |
| Language name |
BEMBA |
| Population |
28,600 in Tanzania (1987). |
| Alternate names |
CHIBEMBA, ICHIBEMBA, WEMBA, CHIWEMBA |
| Comments |
Traditional religion, Christian. Bible 1956-1983. See main entry under Zambia. |
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