Keiga, Yega, or Deiga is a Kadu language spoken in Kordofan. Dialects are Demik (Rofik) and Keiga proper (Aigang).

Keiga
Keiga-Timero
Native toSudan
RegionKordofan
EthnicityKeiga
Native speakers
(6,100 cited 1984)[1]
Dialects
  • Demik
  • Aigang
Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3kec
Glottologkeig1242
ELPKeiga
Keiga is classified as Severely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Keiga is a VSO language. Reh (1994) instead uses the name Deiga or Dayga, with a prefix d- instead of the place prefix k-.[2]

Demographics

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Stevenson (1956; 1957) originally called the language Keiga, after the places where it is mainly spoken, namely Keiga Timmero, Keiga al-Kheil and Keiga Lubun. The local name for the language is sani m-aigaŋ 'speech of Keiga' (Stevenson 1956: 104). Stevenson (1956: 104) considers it to be a language cluster consisting of two dialects, Keiga proper and Demik, with a total number of approximately 7,520 speakers (with 1,504 taxpayers).[3]

Villages

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Keiga is spoken in the following villages according to the 22nd edition of Ethnologue:

  • Ambong (Àmbóŋ) area: Ambong, Ambongadi, Arungekkaadi, Bila Ndulang, Kandang, Kuluwaring, Lakkadi, Roofik, Saadhing, Taffor, and Tingiragadi villages
  • Lubung (Lùbúŋ) area: Kuwaik, Miya Ndumuru, Miya Ntaarang, Miya Ntaluwa, Semalili, and Tungunungunu villages
  • Tumuro (Tʊ̀mʊ̀rɔ̀) area: Jughuba, Kayide, Koolo, and Tumuro villages

Blench (2005) identified 3 dialects, which are Àmbóŋ, Lùbúŋ, and Tʊ̀mʊ̀rɔ̀.[4]

Àmbóŋ villages are as follows. Only Taffor, Kantang, Lak ka aati, and Arungek ka aati villages were reported by Blench (2005) to be inhabited. The rest were abandoned due to the Sudanese Civil War.

Orthographic IPA Official name
Ambong ə̀mbɔ́ŋ
Taffor Tə̀ffɔ́r Jighaiba
Saadhing Sə́ə́ɖɪ̀ŋ
Ambong ka aati ə̀mbɔ̀ŋ kà ə̀ə̀tɪ́
Kulwaring Kʊ̀lwə̀rɪ̀ŋ
Kantang Kə̀ntə̀ŋ
Tinkira ka aati Tɪ́nkɪ̀rə̀ kə́ ə́ə́tɪ̀
Lak ka aati Lə̀k kə́ ə́ə́tɪ̀ Turlake
Arungek ka aati ə̀rʊ́ŋɛ́k kə́ ə́ə́tɪ̀ Shihaita
Mutuju Mʊ̀tʊ̀jʊ́

Lùbúŋ villages are as follows. Only Küwëk is inhabited.[4]

Orthographic IPA Official name
Küwëk Kùwék Kuwaik
Miya Ntarang Mìyà ntáráŋ
Miya Ntaluwa
Tungunungunu
Se Malili
Miya Ntumuro

Tʊ̀mʊ̀rɔ̀ villages are as follows. Only Koolo is inhabited.[4]

Orthographic IPA
Koolo Kɔ́ɔ́lɔ̀
Kayëtë

References

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  1. ^ Keiga at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Reh, Mechthild. 1994. A Grammatical Sketch of Deiga. Afrika und Übersee 77: 197-261.
  3. ^ Stevenson, Roland C. 1956; 1957. A survey of the phonetics and grammatical structure of the Nuba Mountain languages, with particular reference to Otoro, Katcha and Nyimang. In: Afrika und Übersee 40 (1956): 73-84; 93-115; 41 (1957): 27-65; 117-152; 171-196.
  4. ^ a b c Blench, Roger. 2005. The Kayigang (Keiga, Deiga) language of the Nuba hills, Sudan. Cambridge: Kay Williamson Education Foundation.
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