Nara | Ethnologue

A language of Eritrea

ISO 639: nrb
Alternate Names: Nara bana, Nera, “Barea” (pej.), “Baria” (pej.), “Barya” (pej.)
Autonym: Nara
Population: 103,000 (2020), increasing.
Location:: Gash-Barka region: north of Barentu.
Language Status: 5 (Developing).
Classification: Nilo-Saharan, Satellite-Core, Core, Eastern Sudanic, Northern (k languages), Nara
Dialects: Higir, Koyta, Santora. Little intelligibility of Kunama [kun].
Typology: SOV; case suffixes; passive verbs; reciprocal verbs.
Language Use: Home, community. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Also use Kunama [kun], especially the Koyta. Also use Standard Arabic [arb], for intercommunication. Also use Tigré [tig], for intercommunication. Used as L2 by Bilen [byn].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: Female: 21%. Most literate Nara use Arabic [arb]. Taught in primary schools. Literature. Radio. Videos. Texts.
Language Resources: OLAC resources in and about Nara
Writing: Latin script [Latn], used since 1988.
Other Comments: Considerable dialect variation within 4 main groups: Higir, Mogareb, Koyta, and Santora. Muslim.

Location: Gash-Barka region: north of Barentu.