MASALIT: a language of Sudan

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It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005).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: MSA

ISO 639-2: ssa

Population	145,000 in Sudan. Population total both countries 250,000 (1983 Doornbos and Bender).
Region	Northern Sudan, Dar Fur Province, Dar Masalit and Nyala District, scattered colonies in Dar Fongoro and to the south and east, and Gedaref region; Geneina, Mistere, and Habila Kajangise. Also spoken in Chad.
Alternate names	MASSALIT, KAANA MASALA, JWISINCE
Dialects	SURBAKHAL.
Classification	Nilo-Saharan, Maban, Mabang, Masalit.
Comments	The dialect in Dar Masalit in Dar Fur differs from that spoken in Nyala District. The majority use Arabic as second language; however, people in the central area and women know only limited Arabic. Muslim.

Also spoken in:

Chad

Language name	MASALIT
Population	50,847 in Chad (1993 census).
Alternate names	MASSALIT, MASSOLIT, KAANA MASALA, MASARA, MASALE
Dialects	NORTHERN MASALIT, WESTERN MASALIT, SOUTHERN MASALIT.
Comments	36% lexical similarity with Karanga, 42% with Maba, 45% with Marfa. The majority use Chadian Arabic as second language. Literacy rate in first language: Below 1%. Literacy rate in second language: Below 5%. Muslim. See main entry under Sudan.