Luhya language
| Luhya | |
|---|---|
| Luyia | |
| Oluluhya | |
| Native to | Kenya |
| Ethnicity | Luhya |
Niger–Congo?
| |
| Latin | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | luy – inclusive code (includes all languages spoken by ethnic Luhya, not just the following)[1]Individual codes: lrm – Maramalwg – Wanga (Hanga)lks – Kisalto – Tsotsolkb – Kabrasnle – (East) Nyala |
| Glottolog | cent2288 Central Luyia (incl. some Nyore)kabr1240 Kabras |
JE.32[2] | |
Luhya (.
Dialects
The various
mutually intelligible dialects that comprise Luhya proper:[3]
- Wanga (OluWanga)
- Tsotso (OluTsotso)
- Marama (OluMarama)
- Kisa (OluShisa)
- Kabras (LuKabarasi)
- East Nyala (LuNyala)
All Luhya subtribes
- Banyala
- Bukusu
- Gisu people
- Idakho
- Isukha
- Kabras
- Khayo
- Kisa tribe
- Marachi
- Maragoli
- Marama
- Masaaba
- Nyole
- Samia
- Tachoni
- Tiriki
- Tsotso
- Wanga
Comparison
A comparison between two dialects of Luhya proper, and to two other Bantu languages spoken by the Luhya:
| English | Kisa | Logoli
|
Nyole | Wanga |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I (me) | eshie | nzi/ inze | ise | esie |
| words | amakhuwa | makuva | amang'ana, amakhuwa | amakhuwa |
| chair | eshifumbi | indeve/ endeve | indebe | eshisala |
| head | omurwe | mutwi | omurwe | om'rwe |
| money | amapesa | mang'ondo | amang'ondo, am'mondo, etsilupia | amapesa, irupia |
Comparison to Bantu
| English | Luhya | Kikuyu
|
Kinyarwanda | Lingala
|
Luganda | Shona | Swahili
|
Zulu
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| children | abana, baana, otwana, orwana, vaana | twana | abana | bana | baana, abaana | vana | wana | abantwana |
| dog | imbwa | ngui (pron. gui) | imbwa | mbwa | mbwa, embwa | mbwa, imbwa | mbwa | inja |
| fire | omuliro | mwaki | umuriro | moto | omuliro | moto | moto | umlilo |
Phonology
The following is the phonology of the Luwanga dialect:[4]
Vowels
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i iː | u uː | |
| Mid | e eː | o oː | |
| Open | a aː |
Consonants
| Bilabial | Labio- dental |
Alveolar | Post- alveolar |
Palatal | Velar | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stop
|
plain | p | t | k | |||
| prenasal | ᵐb | ⁿd | ᶮɟ | ᵑɡ | |||
Affricate
|
ts | tʃ | |||||
Fricative
|
plain | β | f | s | ʃ | x | |
| prenasal | ⁿz | ||||||
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |||
| Trill | r | ||||||
Approximant
|
l | j | w | ||||
External links
- Eshitabo Eshiokhulaama nende Tsisakalamendo nende Akebiima Bindi Bieikanisa 1967 Anglican liturgical text digitized by Richard Mammana
References
- SIL International.
- ^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
- ^ Maho (2019)
- ^ Abdulmajid, Akidah Mohammed (2000). Luwanga morphophonemics: a natural generative phonology. University of Nairobi.
