Page Type: languageKwanja | Ethnologue

KNP ISO 639-3

Kwanja

Kwànjâ Autonym

A language of Cameroon

ISO 639
knp
Alternate Names
Kondja, Konja
Autonym
Kwànjâ
Population
10,000 (2011 LBT).
Location:
Adamawa region: most south of Banyo between Mayo Darle and Bankim, west to Mbojdanga, east to Mbam river.
Language Status
5* (Developing).
Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Northern, Mambiloid, Mambila-Konja, Konja
Dialects
Ndung (Ndǔŋ, Ndungani), Sundani (Súndànɨ́, Sun), Njanga (Njang), Twendi. Njanga dialect has only 4 to 10 remaining speakers (Griffiths and Robson 2010). Two other Kwanja dialects are mutually intelligible for those who are in the Kwanja home area where they hear both dialects, more difficult for those who have not heard the other dialect: Sundani dialect is reportedly similar to Mambila [mcu]; Ndung dialect is similar to Vute [vut]. Twendi is the most divergent dialect, ethnically Kwanja, but linguistically more similar to Mambila [mcu].
Typology
SVO; prepositions; noun head initial in noun phrases; only remnants of noun classes; content-questions words phrase initial; no prefixes, up to 2 suffixes; clause constituents marked by word order; tense and aspect; 22 consonant and 9 vowel phonemes; 4 tones.
Language Use
Regular use in Kwanja area. Home, community. Positive attitudes, though in some places there is pressure to use Fulfulde [fub]. A few also use French [fra], especially those who work in cities outside the language area. Used as L2 by Tikar [tik], Twendi [twn].
Language Development
Literature. Newspapers. Dictionary. Texts. NT: 2006.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Kwanja
Writing
Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments
Christian, Muslim, traditional religion.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: Adamawa region: most south of Banyo between Mayo Darle and Bankim, west to Mbojdanga, east to Mbam river.