Overview
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Vulnerable

Native Speakers Worldwide

24,500

Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

No data

Community Members

    No members

Revitalization Programs

No programs

Discussion Forum

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Language Information By Source

Few People, Many Tongues: The Languages of Namibia
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Vulnerable

Native Speakers Worldwide

24,500

Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

No data

Speakers

Second-language speakers

No data

Semi-speakers

No data

Child speakers

No data

Young adult speakers

No data

Older adult speakers

No data

Elder Speakers

No data

Ethnic Population

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Non-monolingual speakers

No data

More about speakers

"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."

Year of info

1998

Location and Context

Countries

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Coordinates

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Location description

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Government support

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Institutional support

No data

Speakers’s attitudes

No data

Standard orthography

No data

Script (Writing system)

None

Other writing systems

No data

More on writing systems

No data

Other languages used

Silozi

Domains of other languages

Silozi is a major lingua franca and some Basubiya use it as their first home language.

More on context

No data

Severely Endangered

Native Speakers Worldwide

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Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

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Speakers

Second-language speakers

No data

Semi-speakers

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Child speakers

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Young adult speakers

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Older adult speakers

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Elder Speakers

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Ethnic Population

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Non-monolingual speakers

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More about speakers

~7,000 speakers in Botswana

Year of info

2000

Location and Context

Countries

Botswana, Namibia, Zambia

Coordinates

No data

Location description

Chobe, Botswana; Namibia; Zambia;

Government support

No data

Institutional support

No data

Speakers’s attitudes

No data

Standard orthography

No data

Script (Writing system)

No data

Other writing systems

Chobe, Botswana; Namibia; Zambia;

More on writing systems

No data

Other languages used

No data

Domains of other languages

No data

More on context

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

Vulnerable

Native Speakers Worldwide

35,090

Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

No data

Speakers

Second-language speakers

No data

Semi-speakers

No data

Child speakers

No data

Young adult speakers

No data

Older adult speakers

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Elder Speakers

No data

Ethnic Population

No data

Non-monolingual speakers

No data

More about speakers

"26,600 in Namibia (2006). 3,000 in Botswana (2006). 5,490 in Zambia (1969 census)."

Year of info

2009

Location and Context

Countries

Namibia; Botswana; Zambia

Coordinates

No data

Location description

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

Government support

No data

Institutional support

No data

Speakers’s attitudes

No data

Standard orthography

No data

Script (Writing system)

No data

Other writing systems

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

More on writing systems

No data

Other languages used

No data

Domains of other languages

No data

More on context

No data

Threatened

Native Speakers Worldwide

<6,000

Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

No data

Speakers

Second-language speakers

No data

Semi-speakers

No data

Child speakers

No data

Young adult speakers

No data

Older adult speakers

No data

Elder Speakers

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Ethnic Population

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Non-monolingual speakers

Setswana proficiency: 75%%; English: 30.3%%

More about speakers

No data

Year of info

2000

Location and Context

Countries

Botswana

Coordinates

No data

Location description

Chobe area

Government support

No data

Institutional support

No data

Speakers’s attitudes

No data

Standard orthography

No data

Script (Writing system)

No data

Other writing systems

Chobe area

More on writing systems

No data

Other languages used

Setswana, English

Domains of other languages

Radio

More on context

"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."

Vulnerable

Native Speakers Worldwide

No data

Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

No data

Transmission

No data

Speakers

Second-language speakers

No data

Semi-speakers

No data

Child speakers

No data

Young adult speakers

No data

Older adult speakers

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Elder Speakers

No data

Ethnic Population

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Non-monolingual speakers

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More about speakers

"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."

Year of info

1997

Location and Context

Countries

No data

Coordinates

No data

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."

Government support

No data

Institutional support

No data

Speakers’s attitudes

No data

Standard orthography

No data

Script (Writing system)

No data

Other writing systems

"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."

More on writing systems

No data

Other languages used

No data

Domains of other languages

No data

More on context

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Native Speakers Worldwide

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Domains of Use

No data

Speaker Number Trends

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Transmission

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Speakers

Second-language speakers

No data

Semi-speakers

No data

Child speakers

No data

Young adult speakers

No data

Older adult speakers

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Elder Speakers

No data

Ethnic Population

No data

Non-monolingual speakers

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More about speakers

No data

Year of info

2005

Location and Context

Countries

No data

Coordinates

-17.75,24. 9166666667

Location description

No data

Government support

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Institutional support

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Speakers’s attitudes

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Standard orthography

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Script (Writing system)

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Other writing systems

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More on writing systems

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Other languages used

No data

Domains of other languages

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More on context

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Media Resources

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Filter By

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  1. Languages of the Eastern Caprivi
    Baumbach, Ernst J.M. 1997. "Languages of the Eastern Caprivi." In Namibian languages: reports and papers, edited by Wilfrid Haacke and Edward Derek Elderkin. 307-451. Rüdiger Köppe Verlag; Univ. of Namibia (UNAM).
  2. The History of the Minority-Language Speakers in Botswana
    Tore Janson. 2000. "The History of the Minority-Language Speakers in Botswana." In Botswana: the Future of the Minority Languages, edited by Herman M. Batibo and Birgit Smieja. 3-12. Peter Lang.
  3. Etudes sur les langues du haut-Zambèze, 2: textes soubiya
    Jacottet, Edouard. 1901. "Etudes Sur Les Langues Du Haut-Zambèze, 2: Textes Soubiya." x, 182. Ernest Leroux.
  4. Etudes sur les langues du haut-Zambèze, 1: grammaires soubiya et louyi
    Jacottet, Edouard. 1896. "Etudes Sur Les Langues Du Haut-Zambèze, 1: Grammaires Soubiya Et Louyi." xxxvii, 134. Ernest Leroux.
  5. Notes on some South African tribes
    Hartland, Sidney E. 1907. "Notes On Some South African Tribes." In Man: a record of anthropological science, 7: 49-50 (art. 35).
  6. A comparative study of the Bantu and semi-Bantu languages
    Johnston, Harry Hamilton. 1919/22. "A Comparative Study of the Bantu and Semi-Bantu Languages." 2 vols: xi, 819, map; xii, 544. Clarendon Press.
  7. Bantu group U (West-Central Zambezia), language 80: Subia (Shubia, Shubea)
    Johnston, Harry Hamilton. 1919/22. "Bantu Group U (West-Central Zambezia), Language 80: Subia (Shubia, Shubea)." In A comparative study of the Bantu and semi-Bantu languages, Clarendon Press.
  8. Negotiating the nation in local terms: ethnicity and nationalism in Eastern Caprivi
    Fosse, Leif John. 1996. "Negotiating the Nation in Local Terms: Ethnicity and Nationalism in Eastern Caprivi."
  9. The languages of the western province of Zambia
    Fortune, George. 1970. "The Languages of the Western Province of Zambia." In Journal of the Language Ass. of Eastern Africa, 1 , no. 1: 31-38, fold-out map.
  10. K.40 Subiya group: K.41 Totela, K.42 Subiya
    Guthrie, Malcolm. 1971. "K.40 Subiya Group: K.41 Totela, K.42 Subiya." In Comparative Bantu, v. 2: 54. Gregg International.
  11. Zambian languages: orthography approved by the Ministry of Education
    Chimuka, S.S. 1977. "Zambian Languages: Orthography Approved By the Ministry of Education." ix, 128. National Educational Company of Zambia (NECZAM).
  12. Bantu plant names as indicators of linguistic stratigraphy in the Western Province of Zambia
    Bostoen, Koen. 2007. "Bantu Plant Names As Indicators of Linguistic Stratigraphy in the Western Province of Zambia." In Selected proceedings of the 37th annual conference on African linguistics, edited by Doris L. Payne and Jaime Peña. 16-29. Cascadilla Proceedings Project.
  13. Morphology of the substantive in Subiya
    Davey, Anthony S. 1965. "Morphology of the Substantive in Subiya."
  14. Endangered Languages Catalogue Project. Compiled by research teams at University of Hawai'i Mānoa and Institute for Language Information and Technology (LINGUIST List) at Eastern Michigan University
    2012. "Endangered Languages Catalogue Project. Compiled By Research Teams At University of Hawai'i Mānoa and Institute For Language Information and Technology (LINGUIST List) At Eastern Michigan University."
  15. Tentative orthography of Subiya (as spoken in the Caprivi)
    Baumbach, Ernst J.M. 198x. "Tentative Orthography of Subiya (as Spoken in the Caprivi)."
  16. A lexicostatistical survey of the Bantu language of Botswana
    Batibo, Herman M. 1998. "A Lexicostatistical Survey of the Bantu Language of Botswana." In South African journal of African languages, 18 , no. 1: 22-28.
  17. Languages of the Eastern Caprivi
    Baumbach, Erdmann J. M. 1997. "Languages of the Eastern Caprivi." In Namibian Languages: Reports and Papers, edited by Wilfrid H. G. Haacke and Edward E. Elderkin. 307-451. Rüdiger Köppe.
  18. Études sur les Langues du Haut-Zambèze: Grammaires Soubiya et Louyi
    Jacottet, E. 1896. "Études Sur Les Langues Du Haut-Zambèze: Grammaires Soubiya Et Louyi." Paris: Ernest Leroux.
  19. The Position of the Subiya Language in Caprivi
    Ohly, Rajmund. 1994. "The Position of the Subiya Language in Caprivi." In AuU, 77: 105-127.
  20. Languages of the Eastern Caprivi
    Baumbach, Erdmann J. M. 1997. "Languages of the Eastern Caprivi." In Namibian Languages: Reports and Papers, edited by W. H. G. Haacke and E. D. Elderkin. 4: 307-451. Köln: Rüdiger Köppe.
  21. Linguistic Barriers as a Hindrance to Information Flow: The Case of Botswana
    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.
  22. A sociolinguistic survey of the languages of Botswana
    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.
  23. The World Atlas of Language Structures
    2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.
  24. Few People, Many Tongues: The Languages of Namibia
    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).)
  25. Sesubiya: a language of the north
    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.
  26. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)
    Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)
    http://www.ethnologue.com/