| Kresh | |
|---|---|
| Kresh–Aja | |
| Geographic distribution | South Sudan |
| Ethnicity | Kresh |
| Linguistic classification | Nilo-Saharan?
|
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | kres1240 |
Kresh is a small language group ofSouth Sudan. It is generally considered to be a branch of theCentral Sudanic languages. Boyeldieu (2010) judges that this has yet to be demonstrated satisfactorily,[1] but Starostin (2016) finds convincing evidence, and that its closest relative within that family appears to beBirri.
Kresh is generally considered adialect cluster, but it is dialectically diverse. Blench (2000 ms) lists five Kresh languages, four of which (Kresh, Gbaya, Woro, and Dongo)Ethnologue counts among seven dialects of Kresh/Gbaya (or eight, counting Aja). Kresh and Gbaya, however, are merelyexonym andendonym, not coherent languages; they are equivalent to five varieties listed byEthnologue.Ethnologue notes that the varieties are notmutually intelligible, but that Kresh-Ndogo (Gbaya-Ndogo) is universally understood as aprestige variety, and that Naka is also commonly understood as the most populous variety. Blench (2000) also includesFuru (Bagero) as a Kresh language, thoughEthnologue classifies it asKara.
In addition,Aja is spoken by ethnic Kresh, but though it remains Kresh grammatically, it has beenrelexified by the unrelatedBanda languages (Santandrea 1976).[1]
Several Kresh varieties are not mutually intelligible:
The namesGbaya,Dongo andNdogo are ambiguous, as they are also used for unrelatedUbangian languages.
Furu was once classified as Kresh, but is now recognized asSara.