Mubi tongues

The mubi group is represented by the following languages ​​and dialects:

• birgit ;
• Jegu
• cajax ;
• masmaje ;
• Mubi
• toram ;
• sirenkel .

In addition to the listed languages, the classification of the British linguist Roger Blench includes the Jelkung language ^[7] , while in the Ethnologue reference book Jelkung is mentioned as one of the names of the saba language ^[11] . In the classification of the Czech linguist Vaclav Blazhek , the Birgit and Jeghu languages ​​are assigned to the dangla group ^[12] , in the classification published in the work of S. A. Burlak and S. A. Starostin “Comparative Historical Linguistics”, the Kajaks and Zirenkel languages ​​are not mentioned ^{[8 ]} . In the Ethnologue World Languages ​​Directory, Mubi languages ​​are part of the B1.2 group B of the East Chadian branch. As in the classification of Roger Blench, the Jegu language is not mentioned in the Ethnologue reference book, it is considered as a dialect of the Mogum language group of the Dangla languages ^{[7] [10] [13]} .
The languages ​​of Mubi, Jegu, Birgit and others are listed in the classification of Chadian languages in an article by V. Ya. Porhomovsky “Chadian Languages” published in a linguistic encyclopedic dictionary ^[9] , while in the article “Mubi”, Mubi languages ​​are designated as a dialect bundle , formed by the Mubi language proper and the adjacent dialects of masmaje, birgit and tori ^[14] . The MultiTree: A Digital Library of Language Relationships website provides a classification of Chadian languages, in which masmaje and kajax are included in the dialects of the Mubi language ^{[15] [16]} .

The area of ​​Mubi languages ​​is located in the central, eastern and southeastern parts of Chad (the regions of Bath , Hera , Sila and Salamat ), it includes the main area, which includes the territory of the spread of the Masmaje, Mubi, Birgit languages ​​and the territory of the Kajakse language adjacent to them from the east, as well as two island ranges: the Zirenkel language area located west of the main area, and the Toram language area - south of the main area.

The area of ​​Mubi languages ​​is surrounded by the territories of distribution of both related Eastern Chadian languages, Dangaleat and Jonkor Burmataguil , and unrelated languages ​​and dialects: Chadian dialects of the Arabic language and the languages ​​of the Nilo-Saharan macrofamily - the central Sudanese language of Naba ; Eastern Sudanese languages; gift of power and gift of daju ; languages ​​of the Maba family - Karanga , Maba and Cybet ^{[17] [18]} .

Two languages ​​of the mubi group are noted in the Atlas of the World's Languages ​​in Danger of the UNESCO organization as a severely endangered language - torus and definitely endangered - sirenkel ^[19] . The total number of native speakers of mubi according to the Ethnologue reference book is about 92.1 thousand people ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]} . The most widespread in terms of the number of speakers is the Mubi language - 35.3 thousand people speak it (1993), 25.7 thousand people speak the Masmaje language (1993), the number of speakers of other languages ​​is from 10 thousand or less. According to the Joshua Project website, the number of Mubi people is 73,000 ^[20] , the number of Mesmeja people is 54,000 ^[21] .

Many Mubi speakers also speak Arabic dialects that are widely spoken in Chad, and Zirenkel speakers also speak Darju and East Chadian dangaleat.

Sources

Dangla Group B MultiTree: A Digital Library of Language Relationships (2009). (Retrieved November 10, 2013)