Dendi is a Songhay language used as a trade language across northern Benin (along the Niger River; Donga and Alibori provinces, e.g. Djougou, Kandi). It forms a dialect cluster with Zarma and Koyraboro Senni but it is heavily influenced by Bariba.

Dendi
Dandawa
Region	northern Benin
Native speakers	257,050 (2000-2016)[1]
Language family	Nilo-Saharan? Songhay Southern Dendi
Official status
Recognised minority language in	Benin
Language codes
ISO 639-3	ddn
Glottolog	dend1243
Location of Songhay languages[2] Northwest Songhay:   Korandje   Koyra Chiini   Tadaksahak   Tasawaq   Tagdal Eastern Songhay:   Tondi Songway Kiini   Humburi Senni   Koyraboro Senni   Zarma language   Songhoyboro Ciine   Dendi

Dendi has been described as a four-tone language.[3]

Writing system

The grave accent, the acute accent and the macron are used on vowels to indicate tones.[5]

References

Bibliography

• Centre national de linguistique appliquée (CENALA) (1990), Alphabet des langues nationales (2 ed.), Cotonou: CENALA
• Centre national de linguistique appliquée (CENALA) (2008), Alphabet des langues nationales béninoises (in French) (6 ed.), Cotonou: CENALA avec le concours de l’Initiative francophone pour la formation à distance des maîtres (IFADEM)

На других языках

[de] Dendi (Songhai-Sprache)

[fr] Dendi (langue)