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The Zarma language
Zarma is one of the important Songhay speech varieties (Harisson et al., 1997). It is also referred to as Dyerma, Dyarma, Dyabarma, Zabarma, Adzerma, Djerma, and Zarbarma.
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Zarma is one of the southern Songhay dialects spoken in Zarmaganda (arrondissement of Quallam) and the Zarmatarey (arrondissement of Kollo) in Niger, see map below.
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Map with major southern Songhay dialects
Based on:
Harisson et al., 1997, background map: Microsoft-Elsevier, 2001
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In total 2,438,400 people speak Zarma of
which 2,350,000 live in Niger ( estimation
Ethnologue, 2006). However, this
estimate probably includes other
Southern Songhay dialects.
Based on 1996 population figures Harrison et al. (1997) calculated that about 2,042,000 people spoke a Songhay dialect in Niger (about 23% of the total population) and about a 804,000 in the
neighbouring countries. The number of speakers per dialect per country is given in the table below.
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Populations of speakers of southern Songhay dialects
Source:
Harisson et al., 1997.
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Mali
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Niger
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Burkina Faso
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Benin
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Nigeria
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| Songhay (W, E, C, K) |
600,000
(W,E,C)
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489,000
(K,E)
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122,700
(C,K)
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-
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-
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| Songhay - Kurtey |
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44,100
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-
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-
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| Songhay - Wogo |
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28,800
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| Zarma |
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1,427,000
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600
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some
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50,000
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| Dendi |
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53,100
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-
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30,000
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a few
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W,E,C,K = Western, Eastern, Central, Kaado
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Last updated:
13 februari 2012
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