Naba

Print

A language of Chad

ISO 639-3
mne
Population

278,000 (2006). 137,000 Bilala, 76,700 Kuka, and 19,200 Medogo.

Location

Batha Region, Batha Est department, Ati subprefecture; Batha Ouest department, Oum Hadjer subprefecture; Hadjer-Lamis Region, Dababa department, Bokoro subprefecture. Bilala dialect: around Lake Fitri east to Ati; Kuka dialect: Bokoro subprefecture, Moïto to Bokoro, and Ati to Oum Hadjer; Medogo dialect: southwest of Ati.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Nilo-Saharan, Central Sudanic, West, Bongo-Bagirmi, Sara-Bagirmi, Bagirmi
Dialects

Bilala (Bilaala, Boulala, Bulala, Ma, Mage), Kuka (Kouka, Lisi), Medogo (Modogo, Mud). Related but not inherently intelligible with Berakou [bxv] or Kenga [kyq]. Lexical similarity: between Bilala, Kuka, and Medogo dialects is 99%.

Language Use

Some also use Chadian Spoken Arabic [shu]. One part of the Kuka ethnic group, who live near Oum Hadjer, have shifted to Chadian Spoken Arabic.

Language Development
Grammar.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Naba
Other Comments

Bilala, Kuka, and Medogo are 3 ethnic groups who share a common culture and speak essentially the same language, Ethnonym: Naba by all 3 groups. Muslim.