Fipa
PrintA language of Tanzania
ISO 639-3
Alternate Names
Cifipa, Fiba, Icifipa, Kifipa
Population
195,000 in Tanzania (2002 census). About 140,000 speakers of Northern, 45,000 of Kwa, and 10,000 of Milanzi varieties.
Location
Rukwa Region, Sumbawanga Urban and Nkansi districts, between lakes Tanganyika and Rukwa. Also in Malawi.
Language Maps
Language Status
6a (Vigorous).
Classification
Dialects
Kwa, Milanzi (Sukuma, Sukuuma), Northern Fipa (Kandaasi, Kandasi). Over half ethnic Fipa speak a speech variety called Fipa-Mambwe, which is a dialect of Mambwe-Lungu [mgr]. More research needed for whether Kwa dialect speakers can adequately understand the Northern variety. Lexical similarity: 69% with Rungwa [rnw]; 67% with Pimbwe [piw]; 65% with Nyika, Tanzania [nkt] (Roth 2011).
Language Development
Dictionary. NT: 1988.
Language Resources
Writing
Latin script.
Christian, traditional religion.