Languages of Equatorial Guinea
See language map.[See also SIL publications on the languages of Equatorial Guinea.]
Republic of Equatorial Guinea. República de Guinea Ecuatorial. Formerly Spanish Guinea. 523,051. National or official languages: Spanish, French. Literacy rate: 55% to 72%. Also includes people from Nigeria, Europe, India. Information mainly from A. Jacquot 1978; J. Holm 1989; J. Bendor-Samuel 1989; A. Iyanga Pendi 1991; SIL 1987–2003. Blind population: 800 (1982 WCE). The number of languages listed for Equatorial Guinea is 14. Of those, all are living languages.
Living languages
Batanga | [bnm]
9,000 in Equatorial Guinea (2001 Johnstone and Mandryk). Population total all countries: 15,000. Also spoken in Cameroon.
Alternate names: Banoho, Bano'o, Noho, Nohu, Noku, Banoo.
Dialects: Bapuku (Puku, Naka, Bapuu). The Puku are one of the Ndowe coastal peoples.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Bube-Benga (A.30)
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Benga | [bng]
3,000 in Equatorial Guinea (1995). Population includes 400 on Corisco Island. Rio Muni. Corisco Island. 80% have moved to Libreville, Gabon to Bata in EG. Also spoken in Gabon.
Dialects: Related to Batanga.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Bube-Benga (A.30)
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Bube | [bvb]
40,000 (1995 UBS). Fernando Po, Biombo Island.
Alternate names: Boombe, Bobe, Bubi, Ediya, Adija, Adeeyah, Boobe, Fernandian.
Dialects: North Bobe, Southwest Bobe, Southeast Bobe.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Bube-Benga (A.30)
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Fa D'ambu | [fab]
2,500 in Equatorial Guinea (1999 SIL). Population total all countries: 3,100. Annobón Island, isolated from the mainland by 360 km of ocean (2,000), and in a community from Annobón living in Malabo on Bioko Island (500), a few on continental Equatorial Guinea. Also spoken in Spain.
Alternate names: Annobonés, Annobonese, Annobonense.
Dialects: Different from Fernando Po Krio and Crioulo of Guinea-Bissau and Kabuverdianu. Little variation between Annobonese in Annobón and Malabo. Lexical similarity 62.5% with São Tomense. 10% of the lexicon comes from Spanish.
Classification: Creole, Portuguese based
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Fang | [fan]
258,722 in Equatorial Guinea (2000 WCD). Population total all countries: 450,586. Interior. Also spoken in Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, São Tomé e Príncipe.
Alternate names: Pamue, Pahoun.
Dialects: Make, Ntum (Ntumu). Intelligible with Bulu and Ewondo as part of the Beti language cluster.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Yaunde-Fang (A.70)
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Fernando Po Creole English | [fpe]
5,000 (1998 SIL). North central Bioko Island (Fernando Po), 6 communities in or near Malabo: Musola, Las Palmas, Sampaca, Basupu, Fiston, Balveri de Cristo Rey.
Alternate names: Pidginglis, Fernandino, Fernando Po Krio, Criollo.
Dialects: Pidginglis may be a separate language from Krio.
Classification: Creole, English based, Atlantic, Krio
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French | [fra]
Known more in the cities.
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French
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Gyele | [gyi]
29 in Equatorial Guinea (1998 govt.). Near the coast, northwest corner of Equatorial Guinea.
Alternate names: Giele, Gieli, Gyeli, Bagyele, Bagiele, Bajeli, Bajele, Bogyeli, Bogyel, Bondjiel, Bako, Bekoe, Bakola, Bakuele, Likoya, Babinga.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Makaa-Njem (A.80)
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Molengue | [bxc]
1,000 (2002 SIL). Southern, just inland from coast, about half of the way up, between the southern tip of the country and the Rio Benito.
Alternate names: Molendji, Balengue.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, B, Unclassified
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Ngumba | [nmg]
8,500 in Equatorial Guinea (1982 SIL). Rio Muni.
Alternate names: Mvumbo, Ngoumba, Mgoumba, Mabi, Mabea, Bujeba.
Dialects: Kwasio (Bisio, Bissio, Bisiwo).
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Makaa-Njem (A.80)
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Ngumbi | [nui]
4,000 (1995). Rio Muni coast, including Ecuco village.
Alternate names: Combe, Kombe.
Dialects: Asonga, Bomudi, Moganda. In Yasa (Bongwe) cluster. May be a dialect of Yasa. One of the Ndowe coastal peoples.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Bube-Benga (A.30), Yasa
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Seki | [syi]
11,000 in Equatorial Guinea (2001 Johnstone and Mandryk). Population total all countries: 14,690. Coastal. Also spoken in Gabon.
Alternate names: Sekyani, Sekiani, Sekiyani, Sekiana, Shekiyana, Sheke, Seke, Beseki, Bulu.
Dialects: Different from Bulu of Cameroon. One of 3 groups known as 'semi-playeros' because they function well on the coast and in the jungle.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, B, Kele (B.20)
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Spanish | [spa]
11,500 in Equatorial Guinea (1993 Johnstone). Mainly on Biombo Island.
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian
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Yasa | [yko]
913 in Equatorial Guinea (2000 WCD). Rio Muni. Yasa dialect is in Cameroon and 1 village (Rio Ntem).
Alternate names: Yassa, Lyassa, Maasa, Bongwe.
Dialects: Iyasa, Bweko, Vendo, Bodele, Marry, One, Asonga, Bomui, Mogana, Mooma, Mapanga.
Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Northwest, A, Bube-Benga (A.30), Yasa
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