Data on the Benga language

Classification: Macrophylum from Niger-Congo. Family of Bantu languages, Group A.

The classification of Benga is a problem. Benga is close to other Bantu languages in Group A such as Kombe or Batanga as well as other languages spoken in the lands (languages of the Kota-kele group, group B).

Geographic area: Gabon, Equatorial Guinea.

In Gabon, the Benga people have settled north of Libreville, mainly in Cap-Esterias and Cap Santa-Clara.

In Equatorial Guinea, the Benga have settled on the island of Corisco. Some speakers also live on the continental coast, near the mouth of the Rio Muni.

The Benga people have mainly settled along the coast and are one of the few Bantu people to have an established coastal tradition.

Status: no official status. Communication language.

Number of speakers: Without any accurate census, one can only estimate the number of speakers. According to F.Idiata (2007), there would be approximately 1,500 speakers in Gabon and 3,000 in Equatorial Guinea.

Vitality and transmission: Benga is listed as an endangered language by the UNESCO. It appears the language is more threatened in Gabon, where the majority of Benga people live in the Mpongwe society.

If the Benga grammar was described centuries ago, the language remains little known regarding other features such as tonology or syntax.

In February 2009, a video documentary on the Benga language was shot by the Sorosoro program in collaboration with the Omar Bongo University in Gabon.

See videos in Benga on the Sorosoro website

Additional links

Page dedicated to Benga on the Linguamón website

Page dedicated to Benga on the Ethnologue.com website

Bibliography

IDIATA, Daniel Franck. 2007. Les langues du Gabon. Données en vue de l’élaboration d’un atlas linguistique. Paris, L’Harmattan.

Essono, H. 1990. Benga. Revue Gabonaise des Sciences de l’Homme, 2. Pp 129-139.

Meinhof, C. 1888-1889. Benga und Duala. ZAS, 2. pp 190-208.