Sinyar

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A language of Chad

ISO 639-3
sys
Alternate Names
Shamya, Shamyan, Shemya, Sinya, Symiarta, Taar Shamyan, Zimirra
Population

12,300 (2000).

Location

Ouaddaï Region, Sila department, near confluence of Kaja, Azum, and Salih rivers.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Nilo-Saharan, Central Sudanic, West, Bongo-Bagirmi, Sinyar
Language Use

Vigorous. Most are trilingual in Sinyar, Fur [fvr], and Chadian Spoken Arabic [shu] (Boyd 1989). Many also use Daju [djc] or Masalit [mls].

Other Comments

They are culturally Fur. Little education. Geographically cut off from languages of the Bongo-Bagirmi group. Possibly no remaining speakers in Sudan (2001). Muslim.