Page Type: languageGbaya | Ethnologue

KRS ISO 639-3

Gbaya

Gbäyä Autonym

A language of Sudan

ISO 639
krs
Autonym
Gbäyä
Population
28,000 in Sudan (2017). Total users in all countries: 48,000 (as L1: 44,000; as L2: 4,000).
Location:
South Darfur state: Radom district, Kafia Kingi and south.
Language Status
5 (Developing).
Classification
Nilo-Saharan, Satellite-Core, Satellites, Central Sudanic, West, Kresh
Typology
SVO; prepositions; genitives, articles, relatives after noun heads; adjectives before, numerals usually before noun heads; CV, V, CCV (CVC rare); 5 tones.
Language Use
Used by all. Used as L2 by Gula [kcm], Yulu [yul].
Language Development
Literature. NT: 2019.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Gbaya
Writing
Latin script [Latn].

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Gbaya
User Population
20,000 in South Sudan, all users. L1 users: 16,000 in South Sudan (2013 SIL). L2 users: 4,000.
Location
Western Bahr al Ghazal state: Raga and north through Katta, Boro and Kosho to Kafia Kingi, south of Radom National Park.
Dialects
Naka (Kresh-Boro), Gbaya-Ndogo (Kresh-Ndogo), Gbaya-Ngbongbo (Kresh-Hofra), Gbaya-Gboko, Orlo (Woro), Gbaya-Dara, Dongo. 8 tribes and dialects. Gbaya-Ndogo is prestigious and understood by all. Naka is largest and also well understood.
Language Status
5 (Developing)
Other Comments
Different from Gbaya languages in the Niger-Congo family.
View other languages of South Sudan

Map

Location: South Darfur state: Radom district, Kafia Kingi and south.