Bangi (Bobangi)

Bangi is a Bantu language spoken by about 120,000 people in the centre of the Republic of Congo and in west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In the DRC it is spoken in the territories of Bolobo and Yumbi in Mai-Ndombe Province, and in the territory of Bomongo in Équateur Province. In the Republic of Congo it is spoken in the Cuvette Department.

Bangi is also known as Bobangi, Bubangi, Bungi, Dzamba or Lobobangi. There are three dialects: Lokonga, Mpama and Losonia. It is written with the Latin alphabet, and a Bangi version of the Bible was published in 1916.

Bangi was used as a regional trade language along the Congo River until the late 19th century when Europeans started arriving in the area. After that, it became a lingua franca in the region, and was used by missionaries and in administration. Over time it became simplified and borrowed words from other languages and developed into Lingala, which today has about half its vocabulary from Bangi.

Bangi alphabet

Download an alphabet chart for Bangi (Excel)

Notes

The distinction between e [e] and ë [ɛ], and o [o] and ö [ɔ] appears to be made only in some Bangi spelling systems, e.g. the spelling used in John Whitehead’s Grammar and dictionary of the Bobangi language as spoken over a part of the Upper Congo, West Central Africa : Compiled and prepared for the Baptist Missionary Society's mission in the Congo Independent State (1899).
There are two tones in Bangi: a low tone and a rising tone. The low tone can be marked with a macron (ā) or a caron on ê [ɛ] and ô [ɔ]. The rising tone is not marked. Tone marking appears to be optional.

Sample text

O mabandela Nyambe azalisi likolo na nce.
Nc’eliki bulunganu mpe mpamba; mpe liti liliki o likolo li mai ma ntongu: mpe Molimo mombe Nyambe monyengani yule‐yule o likolo li mai.
Nyambe alobi ete, “Ncengi se lizalaka:” mpe ncengi lizali.

Translation

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/3431/GEN.1.BANGI

Videos in Bangi

Information about Bangi | Tower of Babel

Links

Information about Bangi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangi_language
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobangi_(langue)
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangi
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ボバンギ語
 https://archive.org/details/grammaranddicti00whitgoog/page/n4/mode/2up

Bantu languages

Bangi, Basaa, Bemba, Bena, Benga, Bhaca, Bube, Bukusu, Bulu, Central Teke, Chichewa, Chokwe, Chuwabu, Comorian, Digo, Duala, Eton, Ewondo, Fang, Ganda/Luganda, Gogo, Gusii, Gwere, Haya, Hehe, Herero, Ibinda, Ikizu, Ikoma, Jita, Kamba, Kiga, Kikuyu, Kimbundu, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kisi, Kogo, Kongo, Konjo, Koti, Kukuya, Kunda, Kuria, Lambya, Lingala, Loma, Lozi, Luba-Katanga, Luchazi, Lunda, Luvale, Makaa, Makonde, Makhuwa, Mandekan, Maore, Masaaba, Mbukushu, Mbunda, Mende, Mongo, Mushungulu, Mwani, Nambya, Nande, Ngoni, Nkore, North Teke, Northern Ndebele (South Africa), Northern Ndebele (Zimbabwe), Northern Sotho, Nyamwezi, Nyakyusa, Nyemba, Nyole, Nyungwe, Nzadi, Oroko, OshiWambo, Pagibete, Punu, Ronga, Safwa, Sena, Sengele, Shona, Soga, Songe, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Sukuma, Swahili, Swati, Tanga, Tembo, Tonga, Tshiluba, Tsonga, Tswa, Tswana, Tumbuka, Umbundu, Venda, Vwanji, Xhosa, Yao, Yasa, Zigula, Zinza, Zulu

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page create: 20.09.23. Last modified: 02.09.24

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