Sangu | Ethnologue

A language of Tanzania

ISO 639: sbp
Alternate Names: Ishisango, Ishisangu, Kisangu, Lori, Rori, Sangi, Sango, Shisango
Autonym: Shisangu
Population: 119,000 (Mradi wa Lugha za Tanzania 2009), decreasing.
Location:: Iringa region: west central; Mbeya region: Mbarale district, Usangu plains.
Language Status: 6b (Threatened).
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, G, Bena-Kinga (G.61)
Dialects: Central Sangu, Eastern Sangu (Mahango), Northern Sangu, South-Central Sangu (Kapunga), Western Sangu (Kilambo).
Typology: SVO; Prepositions; Noun Head Initial; Noun classes; Verbal affixation for subject, object, tense, aspect, mood, and derivation; 29 consonant phonemes; 10 vowel phonemes; tonal.
Language Use: Some of all ages. Positive attitudes. Also use Swahili [swh].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L2: Low in Swahili [swh]. SIL has transition literacy work (Swahili to Sangu). Literature. Texts. NT: 2020.
Language Resources: OLAC resources in and about Sangu
Writing: Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments: Different from Sango [sag] of Central African Republic, from Sanga [sng] of Democratic Republic of the Congo, and from Sangu [snq] of Gabon. Muslim, traditional religion.

Location: Iringa region: west central; Mbeya region: Mbarale district, Usangu plains.