# Bongo–Bagirmi languages

The Bongo–Bagirmi or Sara–Bongo–Bagirmi (SBB) languages are the major branch of the Central Sudanic language family with about forty languages. Principal groups include Bagirmi languages such as Naba and the Sara languages. They are spoken across CAR, Chad, South Sudan, Sudan and adjacent countries.

## Languages

The Bongo–Bagirmi languages are for the most part poorly studied, and there is little agreement as to their internal classification. The table below is taken from Lionel Bender, as summarized in Blench (2000).
* Bongo–Baka
* Kara (= Tar Gula ?)
* Sinyar (Shemya) ?
* Bagirmi
* Sara
* Doba (Bedjond, Gor, Mango)
* Kaba
* Vale
* Birri (likely to be closer to Kresh)
* Fongoro (Formona) ?
* Yulu (Yulu–Binga)
Sinyar and Fongoro may not be Bongo–Bagirmi or even Central Sudanic languages.

## Classification

Boyeldieu (2006) classifies the Sara-Bongo–Bagirmi languages as follows.
* Sara-Bongo-Bagirmi
** Bongo
** Modo, 'Beli, Baka
** Western
*** Yulu
*** Core Western
**** Fer, Gula Koto
**** Gula Zura, 'Bu'bu, Gula Mere, Gula Sara
**** Nduga, Luto?
**** Sara
***** Peripheral: Ndoka, Wad, Bagiro, Na, Tiye, Kulfa, Simé, 'Dem
***** Central: Sar, Mbay, Ngambay, 'Bedjond, Kaba P.
***** Others: Bulala, Beraku, Kenga, 'Barma
Boyeldieu (2006) considers the homelands (Urheimats) of the language groups to be as follows.
* Proto-Sara-Bongo-Bagirmi: Bahr el Ghazal / southwestern South Sudan, by the border with easternmost Central African Republic
* Proto-Western Sara-Bongo-Bagirmi: north-central extreme of the Central African Republic
* Proto-Sara: south-central Chad, along the border with northwestern Central African Republic
The Bongo–Bagirmi languages in the east are closer to other Central Sudanic languages, while the Sara languages in the west have diverged more from the typical Central Sudanic typological profile due to contact with Ubangian and other languages.

## Reconstruction
### Plants

Proto-Sara–Bongo–Bagirmi plant names:
| Species | Proto-Sara–Bongo–Bagirmi |
| Stylochiton sp. | *bada |
| Ficus ingens | *ɓAlɛ; *ɓARlɛ |
| Dichrostachys cinerea | *baɭi; *bEɭE |
| Loudetia annua | *bamu; *bVmV |
| Daniellia oliveri | *ɓAtɛ; *ɓita; *ɓuta; *ɓito; *ɓVtV |
| Amaranthus cruentus | *budu |
| Andropogon gayanus | *butu |
| Nymphaea sp. | *ɓVlV |
| Manihot glaziovii | *bVngV |
| Cissus populnea | *Caɭa |
| Lagenaria siceraria | *Ciɓa; *Cuɓa |
| Cissus integrifolia | *Cuƒu; *COƒO; *Nuƒu; *NOƒO |
| Terminalia sp. | *CV; *ɭV |
| Sida rhombifolia | *ɗAɗɛ |
| Acacia albida | *didi; *diɗi |
| Combretum glutinosum | *diro; *dVrV |
| Leptadenia hastata | *ɗisa; *ɗusa |
| Aeschynomene nilotica | *dulɛ |
| Strychnos sp. | *duɲu; *diɲi; *duyu; *diyi |
| Sterculia setigera | *ɖaka |
| Loudetia simplex | *ɖakɔ |
| Hyparrhenia bagirmica | *gama |
| Hibiscus sp. | *gbakɔ |
| Grewia venusta | *Gimbo; *GVmbV |
| Urena lobata | *gumbu |
| Isoberlinia doka | *kabɔ; *kaba |
| Cordia africana | *kAjɛ |
| Hymenocardia acida | *kArɛ |
| Calotropis procera | *kaRpɔ; *kARpɛ |
| Ficus glumosa | *kɔlɔ; *kilɔ |
| Afzelia africana | *kila; *Gila |
| Gardenia sp. (?) | *Kiri; *Giri |
| Ximenia americana | *kiti; *kVtV; *titi; *tVtV |
| Ficus platyphylla | *KOɓO; *KVɓV |
| Ceiba pentandra | *kuɭa |
| Parinari curatellifolia | *kuma |
| Jatropha sp. | *kuma |
| Diospyros mespiliformis | *kuRmɛ; *kARmɛ; *kuRma |
| Ficus sycomorus | *kutɛ; *kVtV |
| Detarium microcarpum | *kuʈu; *nguʈu; *guʈu |
| Lophira lanceolata | *kVyV |
| Combretum collinum | *ɭEmbE; *ɭumbɛ |
| Tephrosia bracteolata | *ɭVɲV |
| Gardenia erubescens | *maca; *masa; *maKa |
| Parkia africana | *matɔ; *mbaRtɔ |
| Annona senegalensis | *mbArɛ; *mburɛ; *mbARwɛ; *mbuRwɛ |
| Grewia sp. (?) | *mɔkɔ |
| Nymphaea sp. | *mEɗE |
| Amblygonocarpus andongensis | *miɭi; *miɭo; *mOɭO; *miri; *miro; *mOrO |
| Vitex sp. | *mOyI; *mVyV; *mOɲI; *mVɲV |
| Pseudocedrela kotschyi | *muru |
| Mitragyna inermis | *nɖAɲɛ; *nɖVɲV |
| Imperata cylindrica | *nɖoku; *nɖeki |
| Ziziphus sp. | *ngAɖɛ; *ngAɗɛ |
| Acacia sp. | *ngara; *ngaɭa |
| Balanites aegyptiaca | *ngura |
| Hexalobus monopetalus | *NVCV |
| Acacia sieberiana | *paɭa |
| Raphionacme sp. | *pOyO; *pVyV |
| Celtis integrifolia | *Sala; *SVlV |
| Rottboellia exaltata | *Saya |
| Anogeissus leiocarpus | *Siɖɔ; *Siɖa |
| Kigelia aethiopium | *Soku |
| Cissus quadrangularis | *taɗa |
| Cucurbitaceae sp. | *taya |
| Pennisetum pedicellatum | *tEmbE |
| Striga sp. | *tiɭo; *tuɭɛ; *kiɭo; *kuɭɛ |
| Jardinea sp. | *tuwa |
| Tapinanthus sp. | *tVmV |
| Burkea africana | *wVɭV |
| Anogeissus leiocarpus | - |
| Ficus thonningii | - |
| Piliostigma thonningii | - |
| Pseudocedrela kotschyi | - |
| Securinega virosa | - |
| Crateva adansonii | - |
| Asparagus sp. | - |
| Dactyloctenium aegyptium | - |
| Sclerocarya birrea | - |
| Ficus polita | - |
| Ficus sp. | - |
| Balanites aegyptiaca | - |
| Sesbania pachycarpa | - |
| Cochlospermum tinctorium | - |
| Xanthosoma mafaffa | - |
| Luffa sp. | - |

### Fish

Proto-Sara-Bongo-Bagirmi fish names:
| Species | Proto-Sara-Bongo-Bagirmi |
| Ctenopoma spp. | *ɓakɔ; *ɓaku; *ɓVkV |
| Distichodus sp. | *bata |
| Alestes macrolepidotus | *boru; *beri; *ɓoru; *ɓeri |
| Siluridae sp. (?) | *buli; *bOlI; *bolu |
| Siluridae sp. | *bVngV |
| Mormyridae spp. | *CAɓɛ; *CAbɛ |
| Distichodus spp. | *Ceri |
| Alestes spp. | *dalu |
| Citharinus spp. | *dOrO |
| Bagrus bajad bajad | *duɓa |
| Synodontis spp., Auchenoglanis spp. et alii | *gaRga |
| Heterobranchus bidorsalis, Clarias spp. | *gɔrɔ |
| Bagridae sp. | *GElE |
| Labeo spp., Barbus spp. | *guɗu; *gOɗO; *Suɗu; *SOɗO; *Sudu; *SOdO; *ɓudu; *ɓOdO |
| Characidae sp., Citharinidae sp. (?) | *janga; *Canga |
| Tetraodon fahaka strigosus | *k+ɖ + kiɭo |
| Lates niloticus | *kaRɓɔ |
| Malapterurus electricus | *Kiɓi; *tiɓi; *Kibi |
| Protopterus annectens | *Kuri; *Kuru; *KuRyi; *KuRyu |
| Mormyridae sp. | *mARlɛ |
| Ophicephalus obscurus | *mOgO; *migo |
| Clarias spp., Heterobranchus bidorsalis | *nduli; *ndolu; *ndVlV |
| Heterotis niloticus | *ngɔɭɔ |
| Tilapia spp. | *ngura |
| Alestes nurse | *ŋmaŋma; *ŋmɔŋmɔ; *ŋmaɲa; *ŋmɔɲɔ |
| Mormyridae spp. | *pAtɛ |
| Tilapia spp., Hemichromis spp. | *pORpO; *paRpa; *SORpO; *SaRpa |
| Citharinus citharus | *puru |
| Polypterus spp. | *SAɭɛ; *ngAɭɛ |
| Schilbe spp., Eutropius niloticus niloticus | *SErE; *SArɛ; *CErE; *CArɛ |
| Siluridae spp. | *Sili; *SVlV; *sili; *sVlV |
| Hepsetus odoe, Hydrocyon spp. | *Siya; *Suya |
| Characidae sp., Citharinidae sp. (?) | *sOɭO; *siɭo; *sVɭV; *SOɭO; *Siɭo; *SVɭV; *ɓOɭO; *ɓiɭo; *ɓVɭV |
| Polypterus spp. | *Suɭa; *Siɭa |
| Gymnarchus niloticus | *tumu; *temi; *ɲumu; *ɲemi |
| Heterobranchus spp. | - |
| Lates niloticus | - |
| Bagridae spp., Clariidae spp. | - |
| Citharinus spp. | - |
| Malapterurus electricus | - |