Nobiin

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A language of Sudan

ISO 639-3

fia

Alternate Names

Fiadidja-Mahas, Mahas-Fiadidja, Mahas-Fiyadikkya

Population

295,000 in Sudan (1996). Total users in all countries: 669,000.

Location

Northern state: Wadi Halfa district, Burgeg to Wadi Halfa; possibly east of Khartoum city, New Halfa area.

Language Maps

Egypt and Libya

Sudan

Language Status

6b (Threatened).

Classification

Nilo-Saharan, Satellite-Core, Core, Eastern Sudanic, Northern (k languages), Nubian, Northern

Dialects

Mahas (Mahasi, Mahass). Lexical similarity: 67% with Kenzi [xnz], but not intelligible of it.

Language Use

Some young people, all adults. Also use Sudanese Spoken Arabic [apd].

Language Development

Literature. Grammar. Bible portions: 1860–1899. The goals of the Nubian Language Society are to revitalize the Nubian language, teach the Nubian language to all Nubian people, and develop the Nubian language to cope with technology and modern life (Jaeger 2008). Agency: Nubian Language Society.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Nobiin

Writing

Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab]. Coptic script [Copt], Old Nubian variant. Latin script [Latn].

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Egypt

Language nameNobiin

Population Full

374,000 in Egypt (2016).

Location

Aswan governorate: Kom Ombo area; shares area with Mattokki [xnz]; scattered in cities.

Alternate Names

Fadicca, Fadicha, Fadija, Fedicca, Fedija, Fiadidja, Fiadidja-Mahas, Fiyadikkya, Mahas, Mahas-Fiadidja, Sukot

Dialects

Fiyadikka.

Status

7 (Shifting).

Language Use

Most in the ethnic group are now monolingual in Egyptian [arz] or Sa’idi [aec] Arabic. The shift to Arabic is expected to continue in the cities. Most also use Egyptian Spoken Arabic [arz] (Abdel-Hafiz 2007). Also use Sa’idi Spoken Arabic [aec] (Abdel-Hafiz 2007).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. The language is the central feature of Nubian identity. Spoken by the Fedicca in Egypt and the Mahas in Sudan. Muslim.

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Ethnologue

Nobiin

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A language of Sudan

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