Dendi

Print

A language of Benin

ISO 639-3
ddn
Alternate Names
Dandawa
Population

30,000 in Benin (1995 R. Jones). Population total all countries: 32,050.

Location

Atakora and Alibori departments, along Niger and Medru rivers, down to Kandi; Djougou, Parakou, and other northern towns. Also in Nigeria.

Language Maps
Language Status

3 (Wider communication).

Classification
Nilo-Saharan, Songhai, Southern
Dialects

Closely related to Zarma [dje] and Songhay [hmb]. They form a dialect subgroup.

Language Use

Market. Also use French [fra].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 1%–30%. Radio programs. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 1995.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Dendi
Writing
Latin script.
Other Comments

Djougou and Parako speech varieties reportedly different from that in the northeast. Different from Dendi [deq] in Central African Republic. Muslim, Christian.

Also spoken in:

Expand All Collapse All