| Mambila | |
|---|---|
| Spoken in | Nigeria and Cameroon |
| Native speakers | 130,000 (1993) |
| Language family | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | either: mzk – Nigerian Mambila mcu – Camerounian Mambila |
Mambila is a Bantoid dialect chain stretching across Nigeria and Cameroon. Notable dialects are Barup, Bang, Dorofi, Gembu, Hainari, Kabri, Mayo Ndaga, Mbamnga, Tamien, Warwar (in Nigeria); Ju Ba, Sunu Torbi (Torbi), Ju Naare (Gembu), Langa (in Cameroun). It goes by numerous names, which, besides the dialectical names, include Bea, Ble, Juli, Lagubi, Nor, Nor Tagbo, Tongbo, and the spellings Mabila, Mambere, Mambilla.
Tep is generally considered a dialect, but though Tep speakers are ethnically Mambila, their speech is not intelligible to other varieties.
Blacksmiths among the Mambila once spoke Somyev, a related Mambiloid language, though this is nearly extinct.