Masalit people
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 440,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Sudan, Chad | |
| Languages | |
| Masalit | |
| Religion | |
| Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Fur, other Nilotic peoples |
The Masalit (Masalit: masala/masara; Arabic: ماساليت) are an ethnic group inhabiting western Sudan and eastern Chad. They speak the Masalit language, which belongs to the Nilo-Saharan family.
The Masalit primarily live in villages in the Geneina and Habila districts, located in the western Gharb Darfur state in Sudan. They also dwell in parts of the southern Janub Darfur state.
According to Ethnologue, there were 440,000 total Masalit speakers as of 2011. Of these, 350,000 inhabited Sudan.
Masalit traditions trace their original homeland to Tunisia. Passing through Chad, they eventually settled in the Sudan vicinity.
The Masalit are also known as the Kana Masalaka/Masaraka, Mesalit, and Massalit. They are primarily subsistence agriculturalists, cultivating peanuts and millet. Further south in their territory, they grow various other crops, including sorghum. The typical Masalit house is constructed of conical wood and thatch.
Most Masalit today adhere to Islam, which they first adopted in the 17th century through contact with traveling clerics. Some vestiges of their earlier faith still exist in their traditional culture.
The Masalit speak the Masalit language. It belongs to the Maban group of the Nilo-Saharan family.
Masalit is divided into several dialects, with the variety spoken in South Darfur differing from that of West Darfur. The northern Masalit dialect is spoken to the east and north of Geneina.
The Masalit language is most closely related to the Marfa, Maba and Karanga languages. It shares 45% of its vocabulary with Marfa, 42% with Maba, and 36% with Karanga.
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Wikipedia