Keiga language


Keiga, Yega, or Deiga is a Nilo-Saharan language of the Kadu branch spoken in South Kordofan, Sudan. Dialects are Demik and Keiga proper.
Keiga is a VSO language. Reh instead uses the name Deiga or Dayga, with a prefix d- instead of the place prefix k-.

Demographics

Stevenson originally called the language Keiga, after the places where it is mainly spoken, namely Keiga Timmero, Keiga al-Kheil and Keiga Lubun. The local name for the language is sani m-aigaŋ 'speech of Keiga'. Stevenson considers it to be a language cluster consisting of two dialects, Keiga proper and Demik, with a total number of approximately 7,520 speakers.

Villages

Keiga is spoken in the following villages according to the 22nd edition of Ethnologue:
  • Ambong area: Ambong, Ambongadi, Arungekkaadi, Bila Ndulang, Kandang, Kuluwaring, Lakkadi, Roofik, Saadhing, Taffor, and Tingiragadi villages
  • Lubung area: Kuwaik, Miya Ndumuru, Miya Ntaarang, Miya Ntaluwa, Semalili, and Tungunungunu villages
  • Tumuro area: Jughuba, Kayide, Koolo, and Tumuro villages
Blench identified three dialects, which are Àmbóŋ, Lùbúŋ, and Tʊ̀mʊ̀rɔ̀.
Àmbóŋ villages are as follows. Only Taffor, Kantang, Lak ka aati, and Arungek ka aati villages were reported by Blench to be inhabited. The rest were abandoned due to the Sudanese Civil War.
OrthographicIPAOfficial name
Ambongə̀mbɔ́ŋ
TafforTə̀ffɔ́rJighaiba
SaadhingSə́ə́ɖɪ̀ŋ
Ambong ka aatiə̀mbɔ̀ŋ ə̀ə̀tɪ́
KulwaringKʊ̀lwə̀rɪ̀ŋ
KantangKə̀ntə̀ŋ
Tinkira ka aatiTɪ́nkɪ̀rə̀ kə́ ə́ə́tɪ̀
Lak ka aatiLə̀k kə́ ə́ə́tɪ̀Turlake
Arungek ka aatiə̀rʊ́ŋɛ́k kə́ ə́ə́tɪ̀Shihaita
MutujuMʊ̀tʊ̀jʊ́

Lùbúŋ villages are as follows. Only Küwëk is inhabited.
OrthographicIPAOfficial name
KüwëkKùwékKuwaik
Miya NtarangMìyà ntáráŋ
Miya Ntaluwa
Tungunungunu
Se Malili
Miya Ntumuro

Tʊ̀mʊ̀rɔ̀ villages are as follows. Only Koolo is inhabited.