The Niellim language (autonym lwaà:) is a Bua language spoken by some 5,000 people (as of 1993) along the Chari River in southern Chad. It is mainly spoken in two areas: one around the city of Sarh (to which many - perhaps most - speakers have migrated) and one, its traditional home, further north, between about 9°30' and 9°50' N, corresponding to the former chiefdoms of Pra, Niellim, and Niou.
Niellim borders on several languages of diverse fami...
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The Niellim language (autonym lwaà:) is a Bua language spoken by some 5,000 people (as of 1993) along the Chari River in southern Chad. It is mainly spoken in two areas: one around the city of Sarh (to which many - perhaps most - speakers have migrated) and one, its traditional home, further north, between about 9°30' and 9°50' N, corresponding to the former chiefdoms of Pra, Niellim, and Niou.
Niellim borders on several languages of diverse families - in particular Sara, Ndam, and Laal - and is influenced by the local lingua franca, Baguirmi; it has itself strongly influenced Laal. It is notably homogeneous. As a small minority in Chad, its speakers usually have to learn other languages, mostly (as of 1974) Baguirmi, Sara, Arabic, and Bua.
Niellim belongs to the Bua subgroup of Adamawa-Ubangian, and thus ultimately to the Niger-Congo family.
The consonants are:
The vowels are /i/, /ɨ/, /u/, /e/, /ə/, /a/, and /o/ as well as the diphthongs , /ja/ and wa; all except /ɨ/ can also be...
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