Alternate Names: Cifipa, Fiba, Icifipa, Kifipa
Dialects: Kwa (Icikwa), Kwaafi (Icikwaafi), Milanzi (Fipa-Sukuma, Icisukuuma, Sukuma, Sukuuma), Nkwaamba (Icinkwaamba), Northern Fipa (Icikandaasi, Kandaasi, Kandasi), Ntile (Cile, Icintile, Yantili), Peemba (Icipeemba), Siiwa (Icisiiwa), Southern Fipa. Over half ethnic Fipa speak a speech variety called Fipa-Mambwe, which is a dialect of Mambwe-Lungu ,. More research needed for whether Kwa dialect speakers can adequately understand the Northern variety. Lexical similarity: 69% with Rungwa ,; 67% with Pimbwe ,; 65% with Nyika, Tanzania , (Roth 2011).
Genealogy:
Demographics: 195,000 in Tanzania (2002 census). About 140,000 speakers of Northern, 45,000 of Kwa, and 10,000 of Milanzi varieties.
Language Use: All ages. Used as L2 by Mambwe-Lungu [mgr].
Language Development: Dictionary. NT: 1988.
Writing System: Latin
Nation of Origin: Tanzania
Other Comments: Christian, traditional religion.