Lingala
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A language of Democratic Republic of the Congo
40,000,000 in Democratic Republic of the Congo, all users. L1 users: 20,000,000 in Democratic Republic of the Congo (2021 M. Meeuwis). L2 users: 20,000,000 (2021 M. Meeuwis). Total users in all countries: 40,252,520 (as L1: 20,252,520; as L2: 20,000,000).
Widespread in Bas-Uele, Equateur, Haut-Uele, Kinshasa, Mai-Ndombe, Mongala, Nord-Ubangi, Orientale, Sud-Ubangi, and Tshopo provinces.
2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in northwestern regions (2006, Constitution, Article 1(8)). Developed as a trade language around 1900 about halfway between Kinshasa and Kisangani. It then spread along the river, ultimately becoming entrenched in Kinshasa, where it has become the L1 of most people.
SVO; prepositions; noun head initial; 12 noun classes; no articles; verb affixes mark person, number; passives; tense; causatives; 16 consonant and 5 vowel phonemes; tonal (2 tones: high, low); tendancy to vowel harmony.
Used as L2 by Asoa [asv], Babango [bbm], Bali [bcp], Baloi [biz], Bamwe [bmg], Bangi [bni], Barambu [brm], Boko [bkp], Bolia [bli], Boloki [bkt], Bolondo [bzm], Bomboli [bml], Bomboma [bws], Bozaba [bzo], Budu [buu], Budza [bja], Bwa [bww], Dzando [dzn], Eboo Teke [ebo], Efe [efe], Foma [fom], Furu [fuu], Gbanziri [gbg], Gilima [gix], Gobu [gox], Ibali Teke [tek], Kango [kty], Kango [kzy], Kele [khy], Komo [kmw], Kpala [kpl], Lalia [lal], Libinza [liz], Ligenza [lgz], Likila [lie], Lobala [loq], Lombo [loo], Lusengo [lse], Ma [msj], Mayeka [myc], Mayogo [mdm], Mba [mfc], Mbandja [zmz], Mbesa [zms], Mid-Southern Banda [bjo], Moingi [mwz], Mongo-Nkundu [lol], Mono [mnh], Monzombo [moj], Ndaka [ndk], Ndobo [ndw], Ndolo [ndl], Ndunga [ndt], Ngando [nxd], Ngbaka [nga], Ngbaka Ma’bo [nbm], Ngbinda [nbd], Ngbundu [nuu], Ngelima [agh], Ngombe [ngc], Northern Ngbandi [ngb], Ntomba [nto], Nzakara [nzk], Pagibete [pae], Poke [pof], Sakata [skt], Sengele [szg], So [soc], South Central Banda [lnl], Southern Ngbandi [nbw], Tembo [tmv], Tiene [tii], Togbo-Vara Banda [tor], Yango [yng].
Literacy rate in L1: 70%. Used in church-based adult literacy programs (2021 SIL). Taught as subject in most primary and secondary schools from grade 3 in the capital, west, and northwest of the country. Taught in most primary schools through grade 3 in the northwestern third of the country. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1970–2000.