| Doba | |
|---|---|
| Spoken in | Chad |
| Native speakers | unknown (140,000 Mango and Gor (2006); 36,000 Bedjond cited 1969) |
| Language family | |
| Dialects |
Bedjond
Gor
Mango
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | variously: bjv – Bedjond mge – Mango gqr – Gor |
Doba is a Central Sudanic language of Chad. It is traditionally considered three languages, as it is spoken by three ethnicities with separate identities, the Bedjond, the Mango, and the Gor. However, all have a high degree of mutual intelligibility, and so by that standard are a single language; they are classified as such in Blench (in press).
The number of speakers is uncertain, as the latest figure for the Bedjond, 36,000, dates from 1969. Figures for the Gor (87,000) and Mango (52,000) date from 2006.
Bedjond is also spelled Bediondo and Bejondo, and is also known as Bediondo Mbai, Mbay Bejondo, and Nangnda. Dialects are Bedjond, Bébote, and Yom.
Gor is also known as Bodo; Bodo and Yamod are dialects.
Mango is also known and Mongo, Doba, and Mbay Doba.