Kenga | Ethnologue

A language of Chad

ISO 639: kyq
Alternate Names: Cenge, Kenge
Autonym: Taar Cɛŋɛ
Population: 40,000 (1997 SIL).
Location:: Guéra region: Guéra department, Bitkine subprefecture, Bitkine area, 52 villages, including Bolongo and Bokiyo.
Language Status: 5* (Developing).
Classification: Nilo-Saharan, Satellite-Core, Satellites, Central Sudanic, West, Bongo-Bagirmi, Sara-Bagirmi, Bagirmi
Dialects: Cenge (Tar Cenge), Banama (Tar Banama), Bidjir, Banala (Tar Banala), Bolong (Tar Bolongo). Lexical similarity: 62% with Jaya [jyy], 81%–93% with the Bolong (Tar Bolongo) dialect.
Typology: SVO.
Language Use: Less than ten Bolong dialect speakers used Kenga as L1 in 2002. Positive attitudes. Also use Chadian Spoken Arabic [shu]. Also use French [fra]. Used as L2 by Mawa [mcw], Tamki [tax].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 1%–5%. Literacy rate in L2: Men: 15% or below in French [fra], 1% in Arabic [arb]; women: below 1%. Roman Catholic songbook and prayer book. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 2012.
Language Resources: OLAC resources in and about Kenga
Writing: Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments: Some consider Bidjir a distinct language. Muslim, traditional religion.

Location: Guéra region: Guéra department, Bitkine subprefecture, Bitkine area, 52 villages, including Bolongo and Bokiyo.