Esimbi

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A language of Cameroon

ISO 639-3
ags
Alternate Names
Aage, Age, Bogen, Bogue, Eshimbi, Essimbi, Isimbi, Mburugam, Simpi
Population

20,000 in Cameroon (1982 SIL), increasing.

Location

North West Region, Menchum division, Menchum Valley subdivision, from Benakuma into Nigeria. Also in Nigeria.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Tivoid
Dialects

Lower Esimbi, Upper Esimbi. 100% mutual intelligibility between Upper and Lower Esimbi. Lexical similarity: 35% with Balo [bqo], Ipulo [ass], Iceve-Maci [bec], Caka [ckx], Eman [emn], and Osatu [ost].

Typology

SVO; prepositions; noun head initial; 14 noun classes; content question word in sentence-final position; up to 3 prefixes; up to 1 suffix; no passives; 30 consonant phonemes; 8 vowel phonemes; 5 tones

Language Use

Vigorous, but children growing up in English- or French-speaking areas do not learn L1 well. Home, neighborhood, market, work, church. All ages. Positive attitudes.

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: Below 1%. Literacy rate in L2: 10%. Radio programs. Bible portions: 2007.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Esimbi
Writing
Latin script.
Other Comments

Traditional religion, Christian, Muslim.

Also spoken in:

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