Alternate Names: Baada, Baaden, Baaza, Baazayn, Baazen, Bada, Baden, Baza, Bazen, Cunama, Diila
Dialects: Aymasa (Aaimasa, Aimara, Odasa), Barka (Berka), Bitama (Bitaama), Ilit (Iiliit, Iilit, Iliit), Marda, Sokodasa (Sogadas, Sogodas), Takazze-Setiit (Setiit, Setit), Tigray, Tika (Lakatakura-Tika, Tiika). Bitama and Ilit are nearly unintelligible to other Kunama dialect speakers. Barka is largest and is intelligible to speakers of all others.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 187,000 in Eritrea (2006), increasing. Population total all countries: 194,430.
Language Use: Home. All ages. Positive attitudes. Used as L2 by Bilen [byn], Nara [nrb].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: Females: 21%. Literacy rate in L2: Low. Taught in primary schools. Poetry. New media. Radio programs. Videos. Dictionary. Bible: 2012.
Typology: SOV; postpositions; case suffixes.
Writing System: Latin
Nation of Origin: Eritrea
Other Comments: Laka-Takura and Tika have been influenced by Arab culture and by the Beni-Amer. Traditional religion, Muslim (Bitama), Muslim (Ilit).