Alternate Names: Cenge, Kenge
Dialects: Banala (Tar Banala), Banama (Tar Banama), Bidjir, Bolong (Tar Bolongo), Cenge (Tar Cenge). Lexical similarity: 62% with Jaya ,, 81%–93% with the Bolong (Tar Bolongo) dialect.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 40,000 (1997 SIL).
Language Use: Less than ten Bolong dialect speakers used Kenga as L1 in 2002. Positive attitudes. Also use Chadian Spoken Arabic [shu], French [fra]. Used as L2 by Mawa [mcw], Tamki [tax].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 1%–5%. Literacy rate in L2: Men: 15% or below in French, 1% in Arabic [arb]; women: below 1%. Roman Catholic songbook and prayer book. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 2012.
Typology: SVO.
Writing System: Latin
Nation of Origin: Chad
Other Comments: Some consider Bidjir a distinct language. Muslim, traditional religion.