Mbula-Bwazza

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A language of Nigeria

ISO 639-3
mbu
Population

100,000 (2012 M. Rueck, Z. Yoder, and K. Hannelová).

Location

Adamawa State, Numan, Girei, Song, Shelleng and Demsa LGAs.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Jarawan, Nigerian
Dialects

Bakopi (kunBuko), Bwazza (Bare, Bere, Bwaza, Bwa’za, kunBwazza), Gwamba (Nkono), Mbula, Tambo (Begel, kunBegel, Taumbo). Mbula 73% intelligible of Tambo, over 80% of other dialects. Mbula-Bwazza [mbu], Kulung [bbu], and Bile [bil] mutually unintelligible (less than 25%). Lexical similarity: Mbula 75% with Bwazza and Gwamba, 70% with Bakopi, 64% with Tambo; Mbula-Bwazza [mbu] 37% with Kulung [bbu], 48% with Bile [bil].

Language Use

Hausa [hau] also used at home, English [eng] used in schools and by the young. Mbula Pastors’ Forum promoting the use of Mbula in the churches. Home, church. All ages. Positive attitudes. Some elderly also use Fulfulde [fuv], Dera [kna], Longuda [lnu], Bacama [bcy], Bata [bta], Kaan [ldl].

Language Development
Bible portions: 2008.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Mbula-Bwazza
Writing
Latin script, used since 2008.
Other Comments

Primary schools in major villages; a few secondary schools. Christian, traditional religion.