Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised May 31, 2026

Teda language

The Teda language, also known as Tedaga, Todaga, Todga, or Tudaga is a Nilo-Saharan language spoken by the Teda, a northern subgroup of the Toubou people who inhabit southern Libya, northern Chad and eastern Niger. A small number also inhabit northeastern Nigeria.

Last revised
May 31, 2026
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≈ 2 min
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403 w
Citations
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Source
Wikipedia ↗
Teda
Tedaga
Native toChad, Libya, Niger1
RegionBET, Kanem, Tibesti, Murzuq, Agadez
EthnicityTeda
Native speakers
130,000 (2020–2024)1
Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3tuq
Glottologteda1241
ELPTedaga
Linguasphere02-BAA-aa

The Teda language, also known as Tedaga, Todaga, Todga, or Tudaga is a Nilo-Saharan language spoken by the Teda, a northern subgroup of the Toubou people who inhabit southern Libya, northern Chad and eastern Niger. A small number also inhabit northeastern Nigeria.1

Along with the more populous southern dialect of Daza, the northern Teda dialect constitutes one of the two varieties of Tebu. However, Teda is also sometimes used for Tebu in general.

Phonology

Consonants

Consonants2
Labial Alveolar Post-
alveolar		 Palatal Velar Glottal
Plosive/
Affricate		 voiceless p t t͡ʃ k
voiced b d d͡ʒ g
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Fricative voiceless f s ʃ ç h
voiced v z ɣ
Approximant l j w

Vowels

Vowels2
Front Central Back
Close i ʉ u
Near-close ɪ ʊ
Close-mid e o
Mid ə
Open-mid ɛ ɔ
Open a

Alphabet

The Teda (Tedaga) Latin alphabet source ↗
Teda alphabet
A a à ã B b Č č D d E e Ê ê G g H h I i Î î Ĩ ĩ K k L l M m N n Ñ ñ
NJ nj Ŋ ŋ O o Ô ô P p R r S s Š š T t U u Û û Ũ ũ W w Y y Z z Y y Z z
References

References

  1. Teda at Ethnologue (27th ed., 2024) Closed access icon
  2. Chanard, Christian; Hartell, Rhonda L. (2019). Moran, Steven; McCloy, Daniel (eds.). "Tedaga sound inventory (AA)". PHOIBLE. 2.0. Jena: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  • Barth, Heinrich (1854). "Schreiben an Prof. Lepsius über die Beziehung der Kanori- und Teda-Sprachen". Zeitschrift für Erdkunde. 2: 372–374, 384–387.
  • Chonai, Hassan (1998). Gruppa teda-kanuri (centraľnosaxarskaja sem'ja jazykov) i ee genetičeskie vzaimootnošenija (ėtimologičeskij i fonologičeskij aspekt) (PhD thesis). Moskva: Rossijskij gosudarstvennyj gumanitarnyj universitet.
  • Haggar, Inouss; Walters, K. (2005). Lexique tubu (dazaga)-français et glossaire français-tubu. Niamey: SIL Niger.
  • Jourdan, P. (1935). Notes grammaticales et vocabulaire de la langue Daza. London: Kegan, Paul, Trench & Trubner.
  • Le Cœur, C. (1950). Dictionnaire ethnographique téda, précédé d'un lexique français-téda. Dakar: IFAN.
  • Le Cœur, C.; Le Cœur, M. (1956). "Grammaire et textes teda-daza". Mémoires de l'IFAN. 46. Dakar: Institut Français d’Afrique Noire.
  • Lukas, Johannes (1951–1952). "Umrisse einer ostsaharanischen Sprachgruppe". Afrika und Übersee. 36: 3–7.
  • Lukas, Johannes (1953). Die Sprache der Tubu in der zentralen Sahara. Berlin: Akademie Verlag.
  • "Audio records of Daza-Teda languages". 1946.