Avokaya language
Encyclopedia
Avokaya is a Central Sudanic language spoken in southern South Sudan
and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Avokaya speakers occupy a contiguous area along both sides of the international boundary, with Maridi in South Sudan and Faradje in Congo as the main centres of the language. In 2002, the number of Avokaya speakers in South Sudan was estimated to be 40,000, replacing the inaccurate 1982 estimate of 15,000. However, the 1989 estimate of 25,000 speakers in the Congo still stands.
Avokaya's two main dialects are Ajugu, which is spoken in the border area of the two countries south of Maridi, and Ojila, which is spoken in the region between the Naam (Era) and Olo rivers, and slightly east of there. These two dialects are spoken in both countries, with the smaller dialects of Northern Ogambi and Avokaya Pur spoken only in the Faradje
region, Congo. Avokaya is closest to Logo
, especially in the Northern Ogambi dialect (whereas the Ogambi dialect is a dialect of Logo rather than Avokaya. A high degree of code switching
exists among Avokaya and Logo speakers in the Faradje region.
In Maridi, there is much bilingualism and intermarriage with speakers of Baka (a West Central Sudanic language
) and Mündü (an Adamawa-Ubangi language
). Juba
, Sudanese Arabic
and English
are used for wider communication by speakers in Sudan, while, in the Congo, speakers tend to use Swahili
, Lingala
and French
.
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...
and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Avokaya speakers occupy a contiguous area along both sides of the international boundary, with Maridi in South Sudan and Faradje in Congo as the main centres of the language. In 2002, the number of Avokaya speakers in South Sudan was estimated to be 40,000, replacing the inaccurate 1982 estimate of 15,000. However, the 1989 estimate of 25,000 speakers in the Congo still stands.
Avokaya's two main dialects are Ajugu, which is spoken in the border area of the two countries south of Maridi, and Ojila, which is spoken in the region between the Naam (Era) and Olo rivers, and slightly east of there. These two dialects are spoken in both countries, with the smaller dialects of Northern Ogambi and Avokaya Pur spoken only in the Faradje
Faradje
Faradje is a community in the Haut-Uele District of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, administrative center of the Faradje Territory. It lies on the Dungu River.The town had a population of about 25,000 people as of 2009...
region, Congo. Avokaya is closest to Logo
Logo language
Logo is a Central Sudanic language spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by 210,000 people in 1989 according to SIL....
, especially in the Northern Ogambi dialect (whereas the Ogambi dialect is a dialect of Logo rather than Avokaya. A high degree of code switching
Code-switching
In linguistics, code-switching is the concurrent use of more than one language, or language variety, in conversation. Multilinguals—people who speak more than one language—sometimes use elements of multiple languages in conversing with each other...
exists among Avokaya and Logo speakers in the Faradje region.
In Maridi, there is much bilingualism and intermarriage with speakers of Baka (a West Central Sudanic language
Central Sudanic languages
Starostin notes that the poorly attested language Mimi of Decorse is suggestive of Central Sudanic, though he provisionally treats it as an isolate.-References:...
) and Mündü (an Adamawa-Ubangi language
Adamawa-Ubangi languages
The Adamawa–Ubangi languages are a formerly postulated family of languages spoken in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan, by a total of about 12 million people...
). Juba
Juba Arabic language
-Other Readings:Manfredi, Stefano "Juba Arabic: A Grammatical Description of Juba Arabic with Sociolinguistic notes about the Sudanese community in Cairo", Università degli Studi di Napoli "L'Orientale"...
, Sudanese Arabic
Sudanese Arabic
Sudanese Arabic is the variety of Arabic spoken throughout northern Sudan. It has much borrowed vocabulary from the local languages . This has resulted in a variety of Arabic that is unique to Sudan, reflecting the way in which the country has been influenced by both African and Arab cultures...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
are used for wider communication by speakers in Sudan, while, in the Congo, speakers tend to use Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
, Lingala
Lingala language
Lingala, or Ngala, is a Bantu language spoken throughout the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a large part of the Republic of the Congo , as well as to some degree in Angola and the Central African Republic. It has over 10 million speakers...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.