Languages of Equatorial Guinea
See language map.[See also SIL publications on the languages of Equatorial Guinea.]
Republic of Equatorial Guinea, República de Guinea Ecuatorial. Formerly Spanish Guinea. 484,000. National or official languages: Spanish, French. Literacy rate: 55%–72%. Also includes Lebanese, English (USA), Arabic, Hindi. Information mainly from J. Bendor-Samuel and Hartell 1989; J. Holm 1989; A. Jacquot 1978; A. Pendi 1991; SIL 1987–2007. Blind population: 800 (1982 WCE). The number of individual languages listed for Equatorial Guinea is 14. Of those, all are living languages.
| Batanga | [bnm]
9,000 in Equatorial Guinea (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001). Population total all countries: 15,000. Also in Cameroon.
Alternate names: Bano’o, Banoho, Banoo, Noho, Nohu, Noku.
Dialects: Bapuku (Puku, Naka, Bapuu). The Puku are one of the Ndowe coastal peoples.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Bube-Benga (A.30)
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| Benga | [bng]
3,000 in Equatorial Guinea (1995). 400 on Corisco Island. Population total all countries: 4,100. Corisco Island, Rio Muni. Also in Gabon.
Dialects: Related to Batanga [bnm].
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Bube-Benga (A.30)
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| Bube | [bvb]
40,000 (1995 UBS). Biombo Island, Fernando Po.
Alternate names: Adeeyah, Adija, Bobe, Boobe, Boombe, Bubi, Ediya, Fernandian.
Dialects: North Bobe, Southwest Bobe, Southeast Bobe.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Bube-Benga (A.30)
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| Fa D’ambu | [fab]
2,500 in Equatorial Guinea (1999 SIL). Population total all countries: 3,100. Annobón Island, isolated from mainland by 360 km of ocean (2,000); Bioko Island, Malabo (500), a few on continental Equatorial Guinea. Also in Spain.
Alternate names: Annobonense, Annobonés, Annobonese.
Dialects: Different from Fernando Po Krio [fpe] and Crioulo [pov] of Guinea-Bissau and Kabuverdianu. Little variation between Annobonese in Annobón and Malabo. Lexical similarity: 62.5% with Sãotomense [cri]. 10% of the lexicon comes from Spanish.
Classification: Creole, Portuguese based
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| Fang | [fan]
297,000 in Equatorial Guinea (2007). Population total all countries: 1,027,900. Interior. Also in Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, São Tomé e Príncipe.
Alternate names: Pahouin, Pamue.
Dialects: Make, Ntum (Ntumu). Intelligible with Bulu [bum] and Ewondo [ewo] as part of the Beti language subgroup.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Yaunde-Fang (A.70)
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| Fernando Po Creole English | [fpe]
5,000 (1998 S. Smith). North central Bioko Island, Fernando Po, 6 communities in Malabo area: Musola, Las Palmas, Sampaca, Basupu, Fiston, Balveri de Cristo Rey.
Alternate names: Criollo, Equatorial Guinean Pidgin, Fernandino, Fernando Po Krio, Pidginglis.
Dialects: Pidginglis may be a separate language from Krio.
Classification: Creole, English based, Atlantic, Krio
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| French | [fra]
Mostly cities.
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French
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| Gyele | [gyi]
29 in Equatorial Guinea (1998 govt.). Coast, northwest corner.
Alternate names: Babinga, Bagiele, Bagyele, Bajele, Bajeli, Bako, Bakola, Bakuele, Bekoe, Bogyel, Bogyeli, Bondjiel, Giele, Gieli, Gyeli, Likoya.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Makaa-Njem (A.80)
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| Kwasio | [nmg]
8,500 in Equatorial Guinea (1982 SIL). Rio Muni.
Alternate names: Bujeba, Mabea, Mabi, Mgoumba, Mvumbo, Ngoumba, Ngumba.
Dialects: Kwasio (Bisio, Bissio, Bisiwo).
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Makaa-Njem (A.80)
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| Molengue | [bxc]
1,000 (2002 SIL). South tip and Rio Benito, inland.
Alternate names: Balengue, Molendji.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, B, Unclassified
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| Ngumbi | [nui]
4,000 (1995). Rio Muni coast, including Ecuco village.
Alternate names: Combe, Kombe.
Dialects: Asonga, Bomudi, Moganda. In Yasa (Bongwe) subgroup. May be a dialect of Yasa [yko]. One of the Ndowe coastal peoples.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Bube-Benga (A.30), Yasa
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| Seki | [syi]
11,000 in Equatorial Guinea (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001). Population total all countries: 14,690. Coastal. Also in Gabon.
Alternate names: Beseki, Bulu, Seke, Sekiana, Sekiani, Sekiyani, Sekyani, Sheke, Shekiyana.
Dialects: Different from Bulu of [bum] Cameroon. One of 3 groups known as ‘semi-playeros’ because they function well on the coast and in the jungle.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, B, Kele (B.20)
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| Spanish | [spa]
11,500 in Equatorial Guinea (Johnstone 1993). Mainly Biombo Island.
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian
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| Yasa | [yko]
910 in Equatorial Guinea (2000). Rio Muni. Yasa in Rio Ntem.
Alternate names: Bongwe, Lyassa, Maasa, Yassa.
Dialects: Iyasa, Bweko, Vendo, Bodele, Marry, One, Asonga, Bomui, Mogana, Mooma, Mapanga.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Bube-Benga (A.30), Yasa
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