Amdang (also Biltine; autonym: ''sìmí amdangtí'') is a language closely related to

Fur Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanket t ...

, which together constitute a branch of the

Nilo-Saharan language family The Nilo-Saharan languages are a proposed family of African languages spoken by some 50–60 million people, mainly in the upper parts of the Chari and Nile rivers, including historic Nubia, north of where the two tributaries of the Nile meet. T ...

. It is mainly spoken in Chad, north of the town of Biltine, and sporadically elsewhere in

Ouaddaï Region Ouaddaï ( ar, وداي) is a region of Chad, located in the south-east of the country, with its capital at Abéché. Prior to 2002 it was known as Ouaddaï Prefecture; in 2008 the southern portions of Ouaddaï (the Sila Department and Djour ...

. There are also small colonies of speakers in Darfur near Woda'a and Fafa, and in

Kordofan Kordofan ( ar, كردفان ') is a former province of central Sudan. In 1994 it was divided into three new federal states: North Kordofan, South Kordofan and West Kordofan. In August 2005, West Kordofan State was abolished and its territory ...

in the Abu Daza district and at Magrur north of Bara. Most of the ethnic group now speaks

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

. The language is also called Mimi, Mima or Biltine; the name "Mimi", however, is also applied to two extinct

Maban languages The Maban languages are a small family of languages which have been included in the proposed Nilo-Saharan family. Maban languages are spoken in eastern Chad, the Central African Republic and western Sudan (Darfur). Languages The Maban branch ...

of the area; Mimi of Nachtigal and

Mimi of Decorse Mimi of Decorse, also known as Mimi of Gaudefroy-Demombynes and Mimi-D, is a language of Chad that is attested only in a word list labelled " Mimi" that was collected ca. 1900 by G. J. Decorse and published by Maurice Gaudefroy-Demombynes. Josep ...

. Wolf (2010)Wolf, Katharina. 2010.
Une enquête sociolinguistique parmi les Amdang (Mimi) du Tchad: Rapport Technique
'. SIL Electronic Survey Reports 2010-028 provides lexical data for the Kouchane, Sounta, Yaouada, and Tere dialects of Amdang.

Bibliography

*Paul Doornbos & M.

Lionel Bender Marvin Lionel Bender (August 18, 1934 – February 19, 2008) was an American linguist. Life Bender was born August 18, 1934, in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. He travelled throughout the world, particularly in Northeast Africa, and was an accompli ...

. 1983. "Languages of Wadai- Darfur", in ed. M. Lionel Bender, ''

Nilo-Saharan Language The Nilo-Saharan languages are a proposed family of African languages spoken by some 50–60 million people, mainly in the upper parts of the Chari and Nile rivers, including historic Nubia, north of where the two tributaries of the Nile meet. T ...

Studies'', African Studies Center, Michigan State University *

Joseph Greenberg Joseph Harold Greenberg (May 28, 1915 – May 7, 2001) was an American linguist, known mainly for his work concerning linguistic typology and the genetic classification of languages. Life Early life and education Joseph Greenberg was born on ...

. 1972. "On the identity of Jungraithmayr's Mimi", ''Africana Marburgensia'' 5.2: 45-49. Mouton, The Hague. *H. Jungraithmayr. 1971. "How many

Mimi Language Mimi is a name applied to several at-best distantly related Nilo-Saharan languages of the Wadai area of Chad. It is most commonly used for the Fur relative Amdang, with several tens of thousands of speakers, but also for two extinct and possibly ...

s are there?", ''Africana Marburgensia'' 4.2: 62-69. * H. MacMichael. 1967 (1922). ''A History of the Arabs in the Sudan''. Barnes and Noble, New York. * H. Carbou. 1912. ''La Région du Tchad et du Ouadai''. Leroux, Paris. * M. Gaudefroy-Demombynes. 1907. ''Documents sur Les Langues de l'Oubangui–Chari'', Actes du XIVe Congres des Orientalistes (Alger 1905). Paris.

References

Fur languages Languages of Chad {{ns-lang-stub

Bibliography

See also

References