Masalit

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A language of Sudan

ISO 639-3
mls
Alternate Names
Kana Masaraka, Massalit
Population

350,000 in Sudan (2011 SIL). Population total all countries: 410,900.

Location

West Darfur State, Geneina and Habila districts; South Darfur State, scattered; Gedaref State. Northern Masalit dialect: north and east of Geneina. Also in Chad.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Nilo-Saharan, Maban, Masalit
Dialects

Dialect in West Darfur differs from that in South Darfur. Lexical similarity: 36% with Karanga [kth], 42% with Maba [mfz], 45% with Marfa [mvu].

Typology

SOV; 10 vowels; verbal affixes: person, tense-aspect, subject number, negation, interrogation

Language Use

All ages. Majority use Sudanese Spoken Arabic [apd] as L2; however, people in West Darfur and women know limited Arabic.

Language Development
Poetry. Radio programs. Grammar.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Masalit
Writing
Latin script.
Other Comments

Many fled to Chad due to war in Darfur (2011).

Also spoken in:

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