Shemya (''tàar ʃàmɲà'') is the language of the Sinyar people. It is a

Central Sudanic language Central Sudanic is a family of about sixty languages that have been included in the proposed Nilo-Saharan language family. Central Sudanic languages are spoken in the Central African Republic, Chad, South Sudan, Uganda, Congo (DRC), Nigeria and ...

spoken in Chad and formerly in Darfur, Sudan. It is variously spelled ''Shamya, Shamyan, Shemya, Sinya,'' and known as ''Symiarta, Taar Shamyan, Zimirra.'' The language is spoken in Goz Beïda, Chad and Foro Boranga, Sudan. There are two level tones and downstepped low tones. Word order is SVO. Dimmendaal leaves it as a

language isolate Language isolates are languages that cannot be classified into larger language families. Korean and Basque are two of the most common examples. Other language isolates include Ainu in Asia, Sandawe in Africa, and Haida in North America. The nu ...

, whereas Blench groups it with Formona. Doornbos records 18 Sinyar clans. The ''Kijaar'' clan, located close to the Kujargé, likely intermarried with the Kujargé.

Lexicon

Sinyar appears to have a Bongo–Bagirmi

superstratum In linguistics, a stratum (Latin for "layer") or strate is a language that influences or is influenced by another through contact. A substratum or substrate is a language that has lower power or prestige than another, while a superstratum or su ...

and a non-Bongo–Bagirmi

substratum In linguistics, a stratum (Latin for "layer") or strate is a language that influences or is influenced by another through contact. A substratum or substrate is a language that has lower power or prestige than another, while a superstratum or su ...

. Some lexical items in Sinyar have cognates in

Bongo–Bagirmi languages The Bongo–Bagirmi or Sara–Bongo–Bagirmi 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 ac ...

(particularly the neighboring Yulu- Gula group), while others do not.Boyeldieu, Pascal. 2013. ''Sinyar and SBB (Central Sudanic): genetic relationship or contact?'' Paper presented at Linguistique diachronique et reconstruction : méthodes, acquis, avancées récentes. Labex EFL. 1-6 July 2013. ;Sinyar lexical items without Bongo-Bagirmi cognates ;Sinyar lexical items with Bongo-Bagirmi cognates Sinyar numerals from Boyeldieu (2013):Boyeldieu, Pascal. 2013
Sinyar numerals
;Numerals

Pronouns

Sinyar pronouns: ;Sinyar pronouns

References

{{Central Sudanic languages Languages of Chad Bongo–Bagirmi languages Unclassified languages of Africa