Where are ubangian languages spoken?

These languages are spoken in Central African Republic, Cameroon, Gabon, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Congo and Sudan.

Total number of speakers (estimates)

Estimates vary between 2 and 3 million (wikipedia).

Classification

This family has, today, 70 languages according to SIL’s ethnologue.com (16th edition)

Gbaya Group

Central Gbaya

Bokoto

Gbanu

Gbaya-Bossangoa

Gbaya-Bozoum

East Gbaya

Ali

Bofi

Bonjo

Manza

Ngbaka

Ngbaka Manza

Northwest Gbaya

Southwest Gbaya

Bangandu

Southwest Gbayat

Gbaya-Mbodomo

Gbaya Isolate: Suma

Zande Group

Barampo-Pambia

Barampu

Pambia

Zande-Nzakara

Geme

Kpatili

Nzakara

Zande

Banda Group

Central Banda

Banda-Bambari

Banda-Banda

Banda-Mbrès

Banda-Ndélé

Togbo-Vara Banda

Banda-Yangere

Mid-Southern Banda

Mid-Southern Banda

Gobu

Kpagua

Mono

Ngundu

South-Central Banda

South-Central Banda

Langbashe

Banda isolates :

Mbandja

Ngbundu

Central West Banda

Ngbandi Group

Dendi

Gbayi

Mbangi

Northern Ngbandi

Southern Ngbandi

Yakoma

Sere-Mba Group

Sere

Feroge-Mangaya

Feroge

Mangayat

Indri-Togoyo

Indri

Togoyo

Sere-Bviri

Bai-Viri

Bai

Belanda Viri

Ndogo-Sere

Ndogo

Sere

Tagbu

Ngbaka-Mba

Ngbaka

Eastern Ngbaka

Mayogo

Bangba

Mündü

Western Ngbaka

Baka

Limassa

Gundi

Ganzi

Ngombe

Bwaka

Gilima

Ngbaka Ma’bo

Buraka

Gbanziri

Kpala

Monzombo

Yango

Mba

Dongo

Ma

Mba

Ndunga

Comments on the classification

We have based our classification on the work of Dimmendaal (2008) and Blench (2000).

For long, these languages were part of the Niger-Congo languages but Oubanguian languages are now regarded as “probably constituting an independent linguistic group, which cannot or cannot anymore be linked to the Niger-Congo group, nor any other linguistic group” (Dimmendaal, 2008).

Are Oubanguian languages endangered?

This section will be developed subsequently.

Additional websites in order to find out more

Ethnographic elements

This section will be developed subsequently.

Linguistic details

This section will be developed subsequently.

Sources

Gerrit Dimmendaal (2008) “Language Ecology and Linguistic Diversity on the African Continent”, Language and Linguistics Compass 2/5

Williamson, Kay & Blench, Roger (2000) ‘Niger-Congo’, in Heine, Bernd & Nurse, Derek (eds.) African languages: an introduction, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Page of ubangian languages in ethnologue.com

http://www.ethnologue.com/show_family.asp?subid=564-16