Masalit

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A language of Sudan

ISO 639-3
mls
Alternate Names
Kana Masalaka, Kana Masaraka, Kanaa Masaraka, Masaraka, Massalit, Mesalit
Autonym
Kanaa Masarak, Masarak
User Population

350,000 in Sudan (2011 SIL). Total users in all countries: 462,000.

Location

South Darfur state: scattered; West Darfur state: Geneina and Habila districts. North and east of Geneina (Northern Masalit dialect).

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Nilo-Saharan, Satellite-Core, Satellites, Maban, Masalit
Dialects

Dialect in West Darfur differs from that in South Darfur. Lexical similarity: 36% with Karanga [kth], 42% with Maba [mfz], 45% with Marfa [mvu].

Typology

SOV; verbal affixation marks person, tense-aspect, subject number, negation, interrogation, participle, causative, verbal number, voice, and mood; vowels: 10 (-ATR: 5 and +ATR: 5).

Language Use

Used by all. Most also use Sudanese Spoken Arabic [apd], however, people in the central area and women have limited proficiency.

Language Development

Literature. Radio. Grammar. Texts.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Masalit
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Many fled to Chad due to war in Darfur (2011).

Also spoken in:

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