Amdang language
Encyclopedia
Amdang Biltine is a language closely related to Fur
spoken in Chad
by about 5,000 people , while Ethnologue
places the number in 2000 at 41,000. It is mainly spoken in Chad north of Biltine
, and sporadically elsewhere in Ouaddaï
. There are also small colonies of speakers in Darfur
near Woda'a and Fafa, and in Kordofan in the Abu Daza district and at Magrur north of Bara. Most of the ethnic group now speaks Arabic
. It is also termed Mimi, Mima, or Biltine. (The term "Mimi" is also applied, however, to several other languages of the area).
Amdang is one of the two Fur languages
, which together constitute a branch of Nilo-Saharan
.
The Ethnologue
regards "Mimi
" as possibly distinct from "Amdang"; however, the source they quote in support of the existence of Mimi (Doornbos & Bender 1983) regards the two as identical, seeing "Amdang" as simply a name given to "Mimi" in the Biltine area.
Fur language
All sounds are spelt with their IPA symbols except for the following: j = , ñ = and y = . Arabic consonants are sometimes used in loanwords.The vowels are as in Latin: a e i o u...
spoken in Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
by about 5,000 people , while Ethnologue
Ethnologue
Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International , a Christian linguistic service organization, which studies lesser-known languages, to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language and support their efforts in language development.The Ethnologue...
places the number in 2000 at 41,000. It is mainly spoken in Chad north of Biltine
Biltine, Chad
Biltine is a city in Chad, and the capital of Wadi Fira region .The town was briefly captured on November 25, 2006 by the RADF, a rebel group, then recaptured the next day by the government, along with nearby Abéché that had been captured by a different rebel group, the UFDD...
, and sporadically elsewhere in Ouaddaï
Ouaddaï Region
Ouaddaï is one of the 22 regions of Chad and its capital is Abéché. It is composed by the former Ouaddaï Prefecture. Its main ethnic groups are the Arabs and the Maba. The economy is based on subsistence agriculture and breeding...
. There are also small colonies of speakers in Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
near Woda'a and Fafa, and in Kordofan in the Abu Daza district and at Magrur north of Bara. Most of the ethnic group now speaks Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. It is also termed Mimi, Mima, or Biltine. (The term "Mimi" is also applied, however, to several other languages of the area).
Amdang is one of the two Fur languages
Fur languages
The Fur or For languages constitute a small, closely related family which are a proposed member of the Nilo-Saharan family. Fur in western Sudan had 500,000 speakers in 1983 , and Amdang in eastern Chad had 5,000 speakers....
, which together constitute a branch of Nilo-Saharan
Nilo-Saharan languages
The Nilo-Saharan languages are a proposed family of African languages spoken by some 50 million people, mainly in the upper parts of the Chari and Nile rivers , including historic Nubia, north of where the two tributaries of Nile meet...
.
The Ethnologue
Ethnologue
Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International , a Christian linguistic service organization, which studies lesser-known languages, to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language and support their efforts in language development.The Ethnologue...
regards "Mimi
Mimi language
Mimi is a name applied to several distinct and not particularly closely related Nilo-Saharan languages of the Wadai area of Chad, most commonly Amdang but also including two possibly Maban languages: Mimi of Nachtigal and Mimi of Decorse....
" as possibly distinct from "Amdang"; however, the source they quote in support of the existence of Mimi (Doornbos & Bender 1983) regards the two as identical, seeing "Amdang" as simply a name given to "Mimi" in the Biltine area.