Northeast Coast Bantu
Encyclopedia
The Northeast Coast Bantu languages are the Bantu languages
of the northern East African coast, and inland Tanzania as far as Dodoma
. In Guthrie's geographic classification, they fall within Bantu zones G and E.
The languages, or clusters, are:
Mbugu
(Ma'a) is a mixed language based largely on Pare.
Bantu languages
The Bantu languages constitute a traditional sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages. There are about 250 Bantu languages by the criterion of mutual intelligibility, though the distinction between language and dialect is often unclear, and Ethnologue counts 535 languages...
of the northern East African coast, and inland Tanzania as far as Dodoma
Dodoma
Dodoma , officially Dodoma Urban District, population 324,347 , is the national capital of Tanzania, and the capital of the Dodoma region. In 1973, plans were made to move the capital to Dodoma...
. In Guthrie's geographic classification, they fall within Bantu zones G and E.
The languages, or clusters, are:
- Pare (G20+E70): Pare (Asu), Taveta
- SabakiSabaki languagesThe Sabaki languages are the Bantu languages of the Central East African coast that include Swahili, named for the Sabaki River. The other languages are Ilwana and Pokomo on the Tana River in Kenya, and Mijikenda. Ethnologue considers Mijikenda to be five languages, and Swahili-Comorian to be eight...
(G40+E70): SwahiliSwahili languageSwahili 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...
, Nyika, etc. - Seuta (G20+G30): Shambala, Bondei, Zigula (MushunguluMushunguli languageZigula is a Bantu language of Tanzania and of Somalia, where it is known as Mushunguli . It is best known for the Mushunguli dialect-Mushunguli:...
), Ngulu - Ruvu (G30+G10): GogoGogo languageGogo is a Bantu language spoken by the Gogo people of Dodoma Region in Tanzania. The language is spoken throughout Dodoma Region and into the neighbouring district of Manyoni...
, Sagara, Vidunda, Kaguru, LuguruLuguru languageLuguru is a Bantu language spoken by the Luguru people of the Morogoro region of Tanzania. The name is also spelled Lughuru, Lugulu, Ruguru. It is closely related to Gogo and Zaramo, but is not intelligible with other languages....
, Kutu, Kami, ZaramoZaramo languageZaramo is a Niger–Congo language, formerly the primary tongue of the Zaramo people of eastern Tanzania. Today there are very few speakers, as the Zaramo population mainly use Swahili instead. The language is also known as Zalamo, Kizaramo, Dzalamo, Zaramu, Saramo or Myagatwa.The New Testament was...
, Kwere, Doe
Mbugu
Mbugu language
Mbugu, or Ma’a, is a mixed language of Tanzania.The Mbugu speak two divergent registers. One consists of an inherited South Cushitic vocabulary with Bantu morphology similar to that of Shambala and Pare. The other register is Bantu, with vocabulary closely related to Pare.-References:* Mous,...
(Ma'a) is a mixed language based largely on Pare.