Ngombe language should not be confused with Ngombe language (Central African Republic).
| Ngombe | |
| Nativename: | Lingombe |
| States: | DR Congo |
| Speakers: | 150,000 |
| Date: | 1971 |
| Ref: | e18 |
| Familycolor: | Niger-Congo |
| Fam2: | Atlantic–Congo |
| Fam3: | Volta-Congo |
| Fam4: | Benue–Congo |
| Fam5: | Bantoid |
| Fam6: | Southern Bantoid |
| Fam7: | Bantu (Zone C.40) |
| Fam8: | Buja–Ngombe |
| Iso3: | ngc |
| Glotto: | ngom1268 |
| Glottorefname: | Ngombe (Democratic Republic of Congo) |
| Guthrie: | C.41 |
Ngombe, or Lingombe, is a Bantu language spoken by about 150,000 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In general, native speakers live on either side of the Congo River, and its many tributaries; more specifically, Équateur Province, Mongala District and in areas neighboring it (Sud Ubangi and Équateur districts). Ngombe is written in Latin script.[1] The deities of the Ngombe include the supreme creator Akongo and the ancestor goddess Mbokomu.
Ngombe includes several dialects in addition to Ngombe proper (Ŋgɔmbɛ). These are Wiindza-Baali, Doko (Dɔkɔ), and Binja (also rendered Binza, Libindja, or Libinja). The latter is not the same as the Binja/Binza language. Binja dialect is primarily spoken in Orientale Province and Aketi Territory, and shares about three-quarters of its linguistic characteristics with standard Ngombe.[1] Maho (2009) lists Doko as a distinct language in a separate group.