LW/D 03: Dictionary of Mbay

John Keegan; compiled with Nangbaye Marcel and Manadji Tolkom Bertin


Mbay is a Central Sudanic language spoken in southern Chad near the border with Central Africa. There are an estimated 80,000 speakers of Mbay in the subprefecture of Moissala. It is a Sara language, and is most closely related to Sar (Madjingay), Ngam and Nar. The work is based on materials gathered in Chad during the periods 1977-1979 and 1988-1990.

The dictionary attempts to provide a description of the Mbay language and the people who speak it as viewed from the lexicon. The scope is broad, incorporating more information, both linguistic and cultural, than is commonly contained in a work of this type. The goal has been to describe the lexicon in a fashion that is not only acurate, but also revealing of how the words are used by the Mbay in their daily life. In addition to the meanings, expressions, and idioms found to be associated with a word, sample sentences illustrating that meaning in a typical context have been provided.
 

Languages of the World/ Dictionaries 03. 610pp. 1996.

ISBN 9783895860522 (print)