Page Type: languageBali | Ethnologue

BCP ISO 639-3

Bali

A language of Democratic Republic of the Congo

ISO 639
bcp
Alternate Names
Baali, Dhibali, Kibaali, Kibala, Kibali, Libaali, Southeast Bwa
Population
42,000 (1987 UBS). 2,100 monolinguals.
Location:
Tshopo province: Bafwasende territory; Tshopo river south to Ituri river north, and Ituri river north bank.
Language Status
6a* (Vigorous).
Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, D, Lega-Holoholo (D.21)
Dialects
Bemili, Bakundumu, Bafwandaka, Bekeni. The Bemili dialect is central linguistically and geographically. Lexical similarity: 52% with Lika [lik]; 40%–45% with Bwa [bww] and Pagibete [pae]; 46% with Komo [kmw]; 40% with Bhele [bhy], Bila [bip], and Bira [brf]; 30% with Budu [buu] and Ndaka [ndk]; 25% with Lega languages and Lingala [lin].
Typology
SVO; prepositions, genitives before nouns; articles, adjectives, numerals, relatives after nouns; question word sentence final; 1–3 prefixes; 1–5 suffixes; word order distinguishes role; affixes mark person, number of subject and object in one noun group; active, passive, reflexive; 2 causatives; aspect; comparatives; tonal, 3 tones; stress; 9 vowels.
Language Use
Some also use Lingala [lin], mainly those who travel or have been in military service. A few also use French [fra], primarily those with secondary school education. Also use Congo Swahili [swc], especially leaders, nearly all youth and men in most domains, most women and older men with less proficiency, and many older women and young children with low proficiency. Used as L2 by Kango [kzy].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 1%–2%. Literacy rate in L2: 30%–40% in Congo Swahili [swc].
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Bali
Writing
Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments
‘Kibali’ is the official name.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: Tshopo province: Bafwasende territory; Tshopo river south to Ituri river north, and Ituri river north bank.