Sängö
Sango
Atlantic-Congo (Ubangian, creolized)
Sango (yângâ tî sängö) is the national language of the Central African Republic and one of Africa's most established national creole languages, with ~5M users (mostly L2), though its classification as a creole (versus a pidgin or koine) is debated. It originated in the late 19th century along the Ubangi River as a trade pidgin based on Northern Ngbandi (an Ubangian language), with French colonial-era expansion. Co-official with French since CAR's 1963 constitution and used in radio, TV, primary education, and Catholic and Protestant liturgy. Three lexical tones (low, mid, high) marked by diacritics; subject-verb-object word order, simplified noun morphology vs. its Ubangian source.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Sango
Water
ngu
/ŋɡu/
Fire
wa
/wa/
Sun
lâ
/la/
Moon
nzë
/nzɛ/
Star
tongoro
/toŋɡoro/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
babâ
/baba/
I
mbi
/mbi/
You
mo
/mo/
Name
iri
/iri/
Eye
lê
/lɛ/
Hand
maboko
/maboko/
Heart
bê
/bɛ/
Love
ndoyê
/ndojɛ/
Tree
kêkê
/kɛkɛ/
House
dâ
/da/
Dog
mbo
/mbo/
Cat
nyao
/ɲao/
Eat
te
/te/
Drink
nyon
/ɲon/
One
oko
/oko/
Two
ûse
/use/
Hello
bara mo
/bara mo/
Thank you
singila
/siŋɡila/
Good
nzöni
/nzəni/
Sources
- Ethnologue: sag
- Pasch (1997) Sango: An African Lingua Franca
- Samarin (1967) A Grammar of Sango
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Ubangian, creolized) languages
| Meaning | Sango | Rwa | Bari | Zande | Machame | Lingala | Meta' |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ngu /ŋɡu/ | mende /mende/ | piong /piɔŋ/ | ime /ime/ | mringa /mɾiŋɡa/ | máí /mai/ | mə /mə/ |
| Fire | wa /wa/ | msika /msika/ | kima /kima/ | we /we/ | mòò /moːʔ/ | mɔ́tɔ /mɔtɔ/ | mɔŋ /mɔŋ/ |
| Sun | lâ /la/ | mlao /mlao/ | kolong /koloŋ/ | uru /uɾu/ | ìsùwà /isuwa/ | mói /moi/ | nyam /ɲam/ |
| Moon | nzë /nzɛ/ | mwere /mwere/ | nyepo /ɲepo/ | diwi /diwi/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | sánzá /sanza/ | nuŋ /nuŋ/ |
| Star | tongoro /toŋɡoro/ | nyenyeri /ɲeɲeri/ | toŋ /toŋ/ | kerekuru /kɛɾɛkuɾu/ | nyenyeri /ɲeɲeri/ | monzoto /monzɔtɔ/ | ntsə́ /ntsə́/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | na /na/ | mama /mama/ | mamá /mama/ | ma /ma/ |
| Father | babâ /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | ba /ba/ | baba /baba/ | tatá /tata/ | ta /ta/ |
| I | mbi /mbi/ | inyi /iɲi/ | nan /nan/ | mi /mi/ | inyi /iɲi/ | ngai /ⁿɡai/ | mə̀ /mə̀/ |
| You | mo /mo/ | uwe /uwe/ | do /do/ | mo /mo/ | uwe /uwe/ | yo /jo/ | ò /ò/ |
| Name | iri /iri/ | irina /irina/ | karin /karin/ | rimo /ɾimo/ | irina /irina/ | nkombo /ⁿkombo/ | ə́ɲə́ /ə́ɲə́/ |
| Eye | lê /lɛ/ | liso /liso/ | kongi /koŋɡi/ | bangiri /baŋɡiɾi/ | rítiò /ɾitio/ | líso /liso/ | dzi /dzi/ |
| Hand | maboko /maboko/ | mkono /mkono/ | kindiyo /kindijo/ | be /be/ | kùoòko /kuoːko/ | lobɔ́kɔ /lobɔkɔ/ | boa /boa/ |
| Heart | bê /bɛ/ | ngiti /ŋɡiti/ | lo /lo/ | ngbaduse /ŋɡbaduse/ | mòyò /mojo/ | motéma /motema/ | mu /mu/ |
| Love | ndoyê /ndojɛ/ | lumbo /lumbo/ | ondu /ondu/ | kpinyemu /kpiɲemu/ | ìkwenda /ikwenda/ | bolíngo /boliŋɡo/ | kɔŋ /kɔŋ/ |
| Tree | kêkê /kɛkɛ/ | mte /mte/ | kute /kute/ | ngua /ŋɡua/ | mtí /mti/ | nzété /nzete/ | ti /ti/ |
| House | dâ /da/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | kadi /kadi/ | bambu /bambu/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | ndáko /ndako/ | nda /nda/ |
| Dog | mbo /mbo/ | mboha /mboha/ | ngoʼlo /ŋoʔlo/ | ango /aŋɡo/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwá /mbwa/ | mbu /mbu/ |
| Cat | nyao /ɲao/ | paka /paka/ | lupa /lupa/ | gbabo /ɡbabo/ | paka /paka/ | nyáu /ɲau/ | guŋ /ɡuŋ/ |
| Eat | te /te/ | kuria /kuria/ | nyo /ɲo/ | ri /ɾi/ | ìlya /iʎa/ | kolía /kolia/ | mé /me/ |
| Drink | nyon /ɲon/ | kunyua /kuɲua/ | mwoi /mwoi/ | mbira /mbiɾa/ | ìnyo /iɲo/ | komɛ́la /komɛla/ | nyo /ɲo/ |
| One | oko /oko/ | mongo /moŋɡo/ | kelo /kelo/ | sa /sa/ | ìmwí /imwi/ | mɔ̌kɔ́ /mɔkɔ/ | mɔ /mɔ/ |
| Two | ûse /use/ | iwi /iwi/ | ŋaba /ŋaba/ | ue /uwe/ | iwi /iwi/ | mibale /mibale/ | bɛ́ /bɛ́/ |
| Hello | bara mo /bara mo/ | kira /kiɾa/ | gwon /ɡwon/ | mo ima ya /mo ima ja/ | máshàlòmà /maʃaloma/ | mbóte /mbote/ | mɔlɔŋ /mɔlɔŋ/ |
| Thank you | singila /siŋɡila/ | asante /asante/ | mungari /muŋɡari/ | oni-tambua /oni-tambua/ | ahsànte /ahsante/ | matɔ́ndɔ /matɔndɔ/ | nfɔn /nfɔn/ |
| Good | nzöni /nzəni/ | kya /kja/ | ru /ru/ | wene /wene/ | ìchá /itʃa/ | malámu /malamu/ | mwa /mwa/ |
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