Also Known As:
Sibhende, Kibende, Si'bende
Dialects & Varieties
Personal Communication on Bende
Personal Communication on Bende
Endangered
100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
27,000-41,290
Native Speakers Worldwide
Speaker Number Trends
Speaker Number Trend 3
Only about half of community members speak the language. Speaker numbers are decreasing steadily, but not at an accelerated pace.
3
Domains of Use
Domain Of Use 3
Used mainly in the home and/or with family, but remains the primary language of these domains for many community members.
3
Transmission
Transmission 3
Some adults in the community are speakers, but the language is not spoken by children.
3
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
No results found.
Older adults
No results found.
Elders
No results found.
Ethnic or community population
No results found.
Year information was gathered
No results found.
Comments on speakers
"Bende as many other Tanzanian Bantu is highly threatened by the National language, Swahili. Moreover, Bende is used exclusively by Bende people, while other neighboring languages like Nyamwezi, Fipa and Ha are also used (although not so much) as a common language by non-native speakers. It means Bende has the lower status in their indigenous area. Not popular in larger cities at all."
Location and Context
Countries
Tanzania
Location Description
Katavi Region, Tanzania
Government Support
None
Institutional Support
"SIL-International Katavi branch has launched the Bende project since 2011."
Speakers' Attitude
"Bende people have relatively negative attitude towards their language, since any people evaluate themselves more negatively than other neighboring ethnic groups."
Other Languages Used By The Community
Swahili; English; Nyamwezi; Fipa; Ha;
Number of Other Language Speakers:
All speak Swahili
Domains of Other Languages:
All except home and rituals
Writing Systems
Standard orthography:
No results found.
Writing system:
Roman-based
Other writing systems used:
No results text.
Comments on writing systems:
"A tentative Roman-based writing system was proposed by myself [Yuko Abe] and SIL-International. Orthography testing is in progress by SIL-International. The writing system is similar to that of the Standard Swahili."
Recent Resources
The wikipedia page for the Tongwe language, of which Bende is either a dialect or a very similar dif
A page with an overview of the Bende people and language by Yuko Abe of Tokyo University of Foreign