The following is the entry for this language as it appeared in the 14th edition (2000).
It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005). See also the corresponding entry in the current edition of Ethnologue.
SIL code: KRS
ISO 639-2: ssa
| Population | 16,000 (1987 SIL). About 4,000 others speak Gbaya as second language. Population total both countries 16,000. |
| Region | Southern Sudan, Western Bahr el Ghazal Province. At Kuru, Deim Zubeir, Raga, Angbanga, Kata, Menangba, Boro, Kafia Kingi. The Dongo are reported by Fr. Santandrea to be in Hobbinya District of Southern Dar Fur Province. Also communities in Wau and Khartoum. Largest numbers in Raga and Boro. A few refugees have settled in CAR and elsewhere. Also spoken in CAR. |
| Alternate names | KRESH, KREISH, KREICH, KREDJ, KPARLA, KPALA, KPARA |
| Dialects | NAKA (KRESH-BORO), GBAYA-NDOGO (KRESH-NDOGO), GBAYA-NGBONGBO (KRESH-HOFRA), GBAYA-GBOKO, ORLO (WORO), GBAYA-DARA, DONGO. |
| Classification | Nilo-Saharan, Central Sudanic, West, Kresh. |
| Comments | 8 tribes and dialects. Gbaya-Ndogo is prestigious and understood by all. Naka is largest and also well understood. Men and those who have been to school speak Sudanese Arabic as second language for most common topics. They do not accept Standard Arabic, except for a few who have been to school. 'Gbaya' is speakers' own name. Different from the Gbaya languages in the Niger-Congo family. SVO, prepositions, genitives and articles after noun heads, adjectives before, numerals usually before, relatives after, CV, V, CCV (CVC rare), 5 tones. Wooded savannah. Rolling plains with granite domes. Swidden agriculturalists; craftsmen in towns. 400 meters (Wau), 600 meters (Raga), 700 meters (Boro). Muslim, Christian. |
