Keiga, Yega, or Deiga is a Nilo-Saharan language of the Kadu branch spoken in South Kordofan, Sudan. Dialects are Demik (Rofik) and Keiga proper (Aigang).
Keiga is a VSO language. Reh (1994) instead uses the name Deiga or Dayga, with a prefix d- instead of the place prefix k-.Reh, Mechthild. 1994. A Grammatical Sketch of Deiga. Afrika und Übersee 77: 197-261.
Demographics Stevenson (1956; 1957) originally called the language Keiga, after the places where it is mainly spoken, namely Keiga Timmero, Keiga al-Kheil and Keiga Lubun. The local name for the language is sani m-aigaŋ 'speech of Keiga' (Stevenson 1956: 104). Stevenson (1956: 104) considers it to be a language cluster consisting of two dialects, Keiga proper and Demik, with a total number of approximately 7,520 speakers (with 1,504 taxpayers).Stevenson, Roland C. 1956; 1957. A survey of the phonetics and grammatical structure of the Nuba Mountain languages, with particular reference to Otoro, Katcha and Nyimang. In: Afrika und Übersee 40 (1956): 73-84; 93-115; 41 (1957): 27-65; 117-152; 171-196.
Villages Keiga is spoken in the following villages according to the 22nd edition of Ethnologue: Ambong (Àmbóŋ) area: Ambong, Ambongadi, Arungekkaadi, Bila Ndulang, Kandang, Kuluwaring, Lakkadi, Roofik, Saadhing, Taffor, and Tingiragadi villages Lubung (Lùbúŋ) area: Kuwaik, Miya Ndumuru, Miya Ntaarang, Miya Ntaluwa, Semalili, and Tungunungunu villages Tumuro (Tʊ̀mʊ̀rɔ̀) area: Jughuba, Kayide, Koolo, and Tumuro villages
Blench (2005) identified three dialects, which are Àmbóŋ, Lùbúŋ, and Tʊ̀mʊ̀rɔ̀.Blench, Roger. 2005. The Kayigang (Keiga, Deiga) language of the Nuba hills, Sudan. Cambridge: Kay Williamson Education Foundation.
Àmbóŋ villages are as follows. Only Taffor, Kantang, Lak ka aati, and Arungek ka aati villages were reported by Blench (2005) to be inhabited. The rest were abandoned due to the Sudanese Civil War.
Orthographic IPA Official name Ambong ə̀mbɔ́ŋ Taffor Tə̀ffɔ́r Jighaiba Saadhing Sə́ə́ɖɪ̀ŋ Ambong ka aati ə̀mbɔ̀ŋ kà ə̀ə̀tɪ́ Kulwaring Kʊ̀lwə̀rɪ̀ŋ Kantang Kə̀ntə̀ŋ Tinkira ka aati Tɪ́nkɪ̀rə̀ kə́ ə́ə́tɪ̀ Lak ka aati Lə̀k kə́ ə́ə́tɪ̀ Turlake Arungek ka aati ə̀rʊ́ŋɛ́k kə́ ə́ə́tɪ̀ Shihaita Mutuju Mʊ̀tʊ̀jʊ́
Lùbúŋ villages are as follows. Only Küwëk is inhabited.
Orthographic IPA Official name Küwëk Kùwék Kuwaik Miya Ntarang Mìyà ntáráŋ Miya Ntaluwa Tungunungunu Se Malili Miya Ntumuro
Tʊ̀mʊ̀rɔ̀ villages are as follows. Only Koolo is inhabited.
Orthographic IPA Koolo Kɔ́ɔ́lɔ̀ Kayëtë
References
External links Keiga basic lexicon at the Global Lexicostatistical Database