Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Echisubia, Subia, Supia, Chikwahane, Chikuahane, Ciikuhane, Mbalangwe, Kwahane, Kuahane, Sesubea, Chikuhane, Kuhane, Sesubiya, Cisubiya, Tjikuhane
CLASSIFICATION		Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Benue-Congo, Southern Bantoid
ORTHOGRAPHY		None
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		sbs
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

Compare Sources (6)

Information from: “Few People, Many Tongues: The Languages of Namibia” (222) . Jouni F. Maho (1998) Windhoek, Namibia: Gamsberg Macmillan

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
24,500
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
"According to Prinsloo et al. (1982, vol. 12) 37.1%% of the Caprivians used Cisubiya as their first home language during the early 1980's. When applied to the 1991 census data the figure would be 24,500 people, this figure should be interpreted with caution."

DATE OF INFO: 1991

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY
Scripts (Writing system): None
More on Orthography: "The Ministry of Basic Education and Culture has prepared a tentative orthography."

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
35,090
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
"26,600 in Namibia (2006). 3,000 in Botswana (2006). 5,490 in Zambia (1969 census)."

PLACES: Namibia; Botswana; Zambia

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: "Namibia: East Caprivi. Botswana: Northwest District, Chobe Subdistrict. Zambia: Western Province, southeast corner."

Severely endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
~7,000 speakers in Botswana

DATE OF INFO: 1996-1998

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

"Only the oldest generation of Kuhane people in the Boteti area still speak Kuhane."

"The younger generations speak Tswana."

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

"Multilingualism is common in the Boteti region. Of those interviewed… less than one tenth said they spoke only one language."

PLACES: Botswana, Namibia, Zambia

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Chobe, Botswana; Namibia; Zambia;

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: "It is spoken primarily in the Chobe Subdistrict of the Northwest District. However, in past generations some Kuhane moved to the Ngamiland and Boteti Subdistricts in such numbers that some villages have Kuhane wards and subchiefs… In Boteti, Kuhane are found primarily in Tsienyane/Rakops, Xhumaga, and Moreomaoto."

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
<6,000
Native speakers worldwide

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY
LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS: "It is also curious that the Bakuhane have a high percentage of proficiency in Setswana... and relatively high percentage in English. This could be explained partly by their dependence on Setswana due to their small numbers, as they are no more that 6,000 speakers (Andersson and Janson 1997: 106) and partly because of the regular interaction with foreigners, including tourists, in the Chobe area."

PLACES: Botswana

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Chobe area

Vulnerable

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available
10,000-99,999
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
"At present, the number of Basubiya in Botswana is approximately 7,000. For the groups in Namibia and Zambia, no separate figures are available. However, it is clear that the numbers are fairly low in both states, perhaps a few thousand in each state."

DOMAINS OF USE

MORE ON VITALITY

"The language seems to be holding its own quite well at present. It is the language used by everyone in daily life in many villages of the Chobe area."

More on Orthography

"There is a tentative orthography in Namibia. In Botswana, there do not seem to be people who are literate in the language... However, literate users of Sesubiya seem to find it fairly easy to use the spelling conventions of Setswana to put Sesubiya in writing."

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: "Spoken by the Basubiya. In Botswana, this group of people is found in the north, mainly in the Chobe district, from Kasane westwards and southwards. There are also some in scattered areas in Ngamiland. However, Basubiya are also found north of the Chobe district, in the Caprivi strip of Namibia, and even further north in southernmost Zambia."

0199255911			2005	The World Atlas of Language Structures			Bernard Comrie and David Gil and Martin Haspelmath and Matthew S. Dryer	Oxford University Press		New York			2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.																	-17.75,24. 9166666667
		16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)			M. Paul Lewis	SIL International		Dallas, TX	http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub	35,090		10000-99999	"26,600 in Namibia (2006). 3,000 in Botswana (2006). 5,490 in Zambia (1969 census)."					Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Namibia; Botswana; Zambia	"Namibia: East Caprivi. Botswana: Northwest District, Chobe Subdistrict. Zambia: Western Province, southeast corner."
	Sociolinguistic studies of Botswana language series		2000	A sociolinguistic survey of the languages of Botswana		1-142		Basarwa Languages Project, Collaborative Basarwa Research Programme of the Univ. of Botswana & Univ. of Tromsø	v. 1	Gaborone		Hasselbring, Sue	Sue Hasselbring. 2000. "A Sociolinguistic Survey of the Languages of Botswana." v. 1: 1-142. Basarwa Languages Project, Collaborative Basarwa Research Programme of the Univ. of Botswana & Univ. of Tromsø.	EBALL		1996-1998		~7,000 speakers in Botswana			"Multilingualism is common in the Boteti region. Of those interviewed… less than one tenth said they spoke only one language."		Severely Endangered (40 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	14	"Only the oldest generation of Kuhane people in the Boteti area still speak Kuhane." "The younger generations speak Tswana."		"It is spoken primarily in the Chobe Subdistrict of the Northwest District. However, in past generations some Kuhane moved to the Ngamiland and Boteti Subdistricts in such numbers that some villages have Kuhane wards and subchiefs… In Boteti, Kuhane are found primarily in Tsienyane/Rakops, Xhumaga, and Moreomaoto."	Botswana, Namibia, Zambia	Chobe, Botswana; Namibia; Zambia;
			1998	Few People, Many Tongues: The Languages of Namibia		222		Windhoek, Namibia: Gamsberg Macmillan				Jouni F. Maho	Maho, Jouni F. 1998. Few People, Many Tongues: The Languages of Namibia. Windhoek, Namibia: Gamsberg Macmillan. x+222pp. (Survey of the linguistic typology and the sociolinguistics of the Namibian languages. Revision (heavy) of Maho (1993).)	HHOLD	24,500	1991	10000-99999	"According to Prinsloo et al. (1982, vol. 12) 37.1%% of the Caprivians used Cisubiya as their first home language during the early 1980's. When applied to the 1991 census data the figure would be 24,500 people, this figure should be interpreted with caution."	Silozi is a major lingua franca and some Basubiya use it as their first home language.	Silozi			Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
			1997	Sesubiya: a language of the north	Languages in Botswana: language ecology in southern Africa	100-106		Longman Botswana		Gaborone		Andersson, Lars-Gunnar and Janson, Tore	Andersson, Lars-Gunnar and Tore Janson. 1997. "Sesubiya: a Language of the North." In Languages in Botswana: language ecology in southern Africa, 100-106. Longman Botswana.	EBALL			10000-99999	"At present, the number of Basubiya in Botswana is approximately 7,000. For the groups in Namibia and Zambia, no separate figures are available. However, it is clear that the numbers are fairly low in both states, perhaps a few thousand in each state."					Vulnerable (40 percent certain, based on the evidence available)		"The language seems to be holding its own quite well at present. It is the language used by everyone in daily life in many villages of the Chobe area."	11			"Spoken by the Basubiya. In Botswana, this group of people is found in the north, mainly in the Chobe district, from Kasane westwards and southwards. There are also some in scattered areas in Ngamiland. However, Basubiya are also found north of the Chobe district, in the Caprivi strip of Namibia, and even further north in southernmost Zambia."
	Duisburger Arbeiten zur Sprach-und Kulturwissenschaft		2000	Linguistic Barriers as a Hindrance to Information Flow: The Case of Botswana	Botswana: the Future of the Minority Languages	95-104	Herman M. Batibo and Birgit Smieja	Peter Lang		Düsseldorf, Germany		Herman M. Batibo and Naledi Mosaka	Herman M. Batibo and Naledi Mosaka. 2000. "Linguistic Barriers As a Hindrance To Information Flow: The Case of Botswana." In Botswana: the Future of the Minority Languages, edited by Herman M. Batibo and Birgit Smieja. 95-104. Peter Lang.		<6,000		1000-9999		Radio	Setswana, English	"It is also curious that the Bakuhane have a high percentage of proficiency in Setswana... and relatively high percentage in English. This could be explained partly by their dependence on Setswana due to their small numbers, as they are no more that 6,000 speakers (Andersson and Janson 1997: 106) and partly because of the regular interaction with foreigners, including tourists, in the Chobe area."	Setswana proficiency: 75%%; English: 30.3%%	Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Botswana	Chobe area

Subiya

Language metadata

Language information by source

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

24,500

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

35,090

Severely endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<6,000

Vulnerable

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

10,000-99,999

Discussion

Subiya

Language metadata

Language information by source

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

24,500

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

35,090

Severely endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

<6,000

Vulnerable

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

10,000-99,999

Discussion

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Sources of information

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