The Chenoua language is spoken by the majority in the region bordering the Mediterranean from the touristy town of Tipasa, an hour's drive west of the capital, and running further west to just short of the town of Tenes. Including the area down to the Chelif River which runs to the south, we have a more or less rectangle. Within that are three dialects: a) Chenoui proper. These are the people living close to Mount Chenoua, including Tipasa. b) Beni Menacer. This is the name of the major tribe in the region. They are less distinctive in their identity, but they still speak their own language. c) Djebel Bissa. This is the name of another mountain, in the eastern part of the region. It is not an official dialect name.
Many parents prefer to teach their children Arabic, for educational advantage, but the children still pick up the local Chenoua language where it is widely used in daily life. Many of the villages have been evacuated during the 21st century, first because of the civil war then because of threats from Al Qaeda. As more Chenoua speakers leave for towns and cities, they stop using their traditional language. There are some associations in the region, where people gather from time to time to celebrate the language and its culture. There are some known Chenoua speaking Christians, worshiping in churches outside their region. Some Chenoua speaking believers have emigrated to Europe.
The speakers of the Chenoua language are all Muslim. To our knowledge, there are no evangelical Christians or churches in their midst and no missionaries working among. They live in a country in which it is difficult to work. Border restrictions, and travel limitations make it difficult for the missionaries to get to these people.
Pray that God will open the door for them to hear the Good News in their own language. Pray for Bible translation to begin and for availability of the JESUS Film and audio Gospel messages. Pray for the Chenoua homeland to have adequate schools and hospitals. Pray for a powerful, unstoppable movement to Christ among Chenoua speakers.
Scripture Prayers for the Chenoua in Algeria.
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Chenoua |
People Name in Country | Chenoua |
Pronunciation |
sheh-noo-AH
|
Alternate Names | |
Population this Country | 106,000 |
Population all Countries | 106,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 0 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 2 |
People ID | 11321 |
ROP3 Code | 102070 |
ROP25 Code | 301699 |
ROP25 Name | Chenoua |
Country | Algeria | ||
Region | Africa, North and Middle East | ||
Continent | Africa | ||
10/40 Window | Yes | ||
Persecution Rank | 19 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | ||
Location in Country | Aïn Defla province: north of Khemis; Chlef province: Mount Bissa area; Tipasa province: generally Mount Chenoua area; dialects: Chenoui in Mount Chenoua area, Beni Menacer to south and west; Djebel Bissa dialect in Tacheta forest area, and Beni Haoua village (Genevois and Reesink 1973). Source: Ethnologue 2016 |
Country | Algeria |
Region | Africa, North and Middle East |
Continent | Africa |
10/40 Window | Yes |
Persecution Rank | 19 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Location in Country | Aïn Defla province: north of Khemis; Chlef province: Mount Bissa area; Tipasa province: generally Mount Chenoua area; dialects: Chenoui in Mount Chenoua area, Beni Menacer to south and west; Djebel Bissa dialect in Tacheta forest area, and Beni Haoua village (Genevois and Reesink 1973).. Source: Ethnologue 2016 |
Primary Religion: | Islam |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
0.00 %
|
Islam |
100.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
Primary Language | Chenoua (106,000 speakers) |
Language Code | cnu Ethnologue Listing |
Language Written | Unknown |
Total Languages | 1 |
Primary Language | Chenoua (106,000 speakers) |
Language Code | cnu Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
People Groups | Speaking Chenoua |
Primary Language: Chenoua
Bible Translation Status: Unspecified
Resource Type ▲ | Resource Name | Source |
---|---|---|
None reported |
Photo Source |
(Representative photo) Copyrighted © 2023 Aleson - Shutterstock All rights reserved. Used with permission |
Map Source | People Group location: IMB. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project. |
Profile Source | Joshua Project |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |