Ma’di

A language of Uganda

Ma’adi, Ma’aditi, Ma’di ti, Ma’diti, Madi

Mãꞌdí

293,000 in Uganda (2014 census), increasing. Census based on tribal affiliation. Numbers probably include Southern Madi speakers. Total users in all countries: 326,000.

Location

Adjumani, Moyo, and Yumbe districts; some in Amuru and Nwoya districts; west and east Nile regions, near Nimule, north Sudan border.

Language Maps

5 (Developing).

Nilo-Saharan, Satellite-Core, Satellites, Central Sudanic, East, Moru-Madi, Southern

Dialects

Moyo, Adjumani (Oyuwi). Lexical similarity: 89% with Moyo and Oyuwi Ma’di dialects, 85% with Oyuwi and Ogoko Southern Ma’di [snm], 80% with Moyo and Ogoko Southern Ma’di, 78% with Moyo and Aringa [luc], 76% with Oyuwi and Aringa, 64% between Moyo and Okolli Southern Ma’di, and 59% between Oyuwi and Okollo Southern Ma’di (Boone and Watson 1999).

Typology

SVO.

Language Use

Home, market, work, church. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Most also use English [eng]. Some also use Swahili [swh]. Also use Nubi [kcn] (Nakao 2018). Used as L2 by Kuku [ukv].

Language Development

Literature. Radio. Videos. Grammar. Texts. NT: 1977.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Ma’di

Writing

Latin script [Latn], used since 1935, revised in 2002.

Other Comments

Christian, Muslim.