Chidigo | Ethnologue

A language of Kenya

ISO 639: dig
Alternate Names: Digo, Kidigo
Autonym: Chidigo
Population: 410,000 in Kenya (2019 census), increasing. , based on ethnicity. Total users in all countries: 576,000.
Location:: Kwale county: south of Mombasa.
Language Status: 5 (Developing).
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, E, Nyika-Taita (E.73)
Dialects: Chichifundi, Chichinondo, Chigwirani. Partially intelligible with Kigiryama [nyf] but most remote from Kigiryama of the Mijikenda subgroup. Lexical similarity: 74% with Chiduruma [dug], 72% with Chichonyi [coh] and Kiswahili [swh], 71% with Kiswahili dialects Mrima and Mvita, 67% with Amu [swh], 62% with Bajun [swh], 58% with Upper Pokomo [pkb].
Language Use: Vigorous. Home, social gatherings. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Also use Chiduruma [dug]. Also use Swahili [swh]. Used as L2 by Chiduruma [dug].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L2: 30%. Literature. Radio. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible: 2020.
Language Resources: OLAC resources in and about Chidigo
Writing: Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments: 9 ethnic groups form the Mijikenda community. Moderate degree of Kiswahili [swh] and Islamic cultural influence. Digo is the tribal name. Muslim.

Tanzania

Location: Tanga area.
Language Status: 6a (Vigorous)
Other Comments: Segeju (Kisegeju, Sageju, Sengeju) is an ethnic group which probably once spoke Dhaiso [dhs], but now speaks Digo or Swahili [swh] as L1. Muslim.

Location: Kwale county: south of Mombasa.