Benga | Ethnologue

A language of Equatorial Guinea

ISO 639: bng
Alternate Names: Boumba, Ndowe
Autonym: Benga
Population: 4,000 in Equatorial Guinea (2017 S. Smith), decreasing. 500 on Corisco Island. No monolinguals. Ethnic population: 4,500 (2017 S. Smith). Total users in all countries: 5,500.
Location:: Litoral province: Corisco Island, Rio Muni.
Language Status: 6b (Threatened).
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Bubi-Benga (A.34)
Dialects: None known. Related to Batanga [bnm].
Language Use: On Corisco, all domains. Some young people, all adults. Away from Corisco island, used more by older generation, fewer youth. Positive attitudes. Most also use Spanish [spa]. All Equatorial Guinean Benga from age 6 are educated in Spanish. Many also use French [fra], due to trade with Gabon. Also use Fang [fan].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: Only a few dozen read Benga (Scripture). All Ndowe groups use Benga hymnal. Literacy rate in L2: Almost 100%. Literature. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1929.
Language Resources: OLAC resources in and about Benga
Writing: Latin script [Latn], used since 1863.
Other Comments: Traditionally coastal fishermen. All the Benga and Batanga [bnm] consider themselves ‘Boumba’ (those who use ‘mba’ to refer to ourselves), and together with additional groups are ‘Ndowe’ (the beach peoples). Christian, traditional religion.

Gabon

Location: Estuaire province: Cape Estérias along the coast north of Libreville.
Language Status: 8a (Moribund)
Other Comments: Spoken by small groups.

Location: Litoral province: Corisco Island, Rio Muni.