Bomitaba language explained

Bomitaba
States:Republic of Congo, Central African Republic
Speakers:9,800
Date:2000
Ref:e18
Familycolor:Niger-Congo
Fam2:Atlantic–Congo
Fam3:Benue–Congo
Fam4:Bantoid
Fam5:Bantu (Zone C.10)
Fam6:Ngondi–Ngiri
Dia1:Northern (Matoki)
Dia2:Central (Epena)
Iso3:zmx
Glotto:bomi1238
Glottorefname:Bomitaba
Guthrie:C14

Bomitaba (Mbomitaba) is a Bantu language of the Republic of Congo, with a couple hundred speakers in the Central African Republic.

Maho (2009) lists the C141 Enyele (Inyele), C142 Bondongo languages, which do not have ISO codes, as being closest to Bomitaba, as well as C143 Mbonzo (also known as Bonjo or Impfondo), which does have an ISO code.[1]

Bomitaba is spoken in the northern part of the Congo, particularly on the banks of the Likouala-aux-Herbes river north of Epena. South of Epena the people identify as ethnically Bomitaba but speak the Dibole language, as the term 'Bomitaba' likely arose only during the colonial period.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Eberhard, David M., Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2023. Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Twenty-sixth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. https://www.ethnologue.com/language/bok/
  2. LEITCH, Myles, and Myles Leich. “LANGUAGE AND DIALECT IN EPENA DISTRICT SOUTH.” Annales Aequatoria, vol. 30, 2009, pp. 808-9. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25836953. Accessed 27 May 2023.