Language Information by Source

Mabire: A Dying Language of Chad

Johnson, Eric and Cameron Hamm. 2002. "Mabire: A Dying Language of Chad." SIL International.

Critically Endangered
100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~5
Native Speakers Worldwide
Speaker Number Trends

Speaker Number Trend 5

A small percentage of the community speaks the language, and speaker numbers are decreasing very rapidly.

5
Domains of Use

Domain Of Use 5

Used only in a few very specific domains, such as in ceremonies, songs, prayer, proverbs, or certain limited domestic activities.

5
Transmission

Transmission 5

There are only a few elderly speakers.

5

Speakers

Native or fluent speakers:
No results found.
Second-language speakers and learners
No results found.
Semi-speakers or rememberers
No results found.
Children:
No results found.
Young adults
0
Older adults
0
Elders
No results found.
Ethnic or community population
No results found.
Year information was gathered
No results found.
Comments on speakers
No results found.

Location and Context

Countries
No results found.
Location Description

"Probably within the last fifty years, the Mabire were all together in four large villages near Mount Mabire. Their villages were named Amdjaména, Arga, Mambire (which later divided into Antéréné and Berouet), and Milaal. Moussa Duwane, the Mabire interviewed in Mongo, claims that Arga and Milaal did not speak the Mabire language, rather they spoke Bidiyo-Tounkoul and Chadian Arabic but were united to the other Mabire villages by the canton chief. According to Terab and Balha, the ancestors of the Mabire came from a village named Mabir, which they said was “7 km west of Baro” (Dadjo II canton, Mangalmé subprefecture). The map prepared by Chad's Bureau Central de Recensement shows a village around seven km northwest of Baro, named Mabar, which the Migaama people consider to be the original Migaama village and is currently entirely peopled by Migaama speakers (William Chesley, personal communication)."

Government Support
No results found.
Institutional Support
No results found.
Speakers' Attitude
No results found.
Other Languages Used By The Community
Kofa, Chadian Arabic
Number of Other Language Speakers:
Majority speak Kofa and Chadian Arabic
Domains of Other Languages:
All others

Writing Systems

Standard orthography:
No results found.
Writing system:
No results found.
Other writing systems used:
No results text.
Comments on writing systems:
No results found.

Community Members