Luhya languages

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

oLuLuhya
Spoken in: Kenya, Uganda 
Region: East Africa
Total speakers: 4,600,000
Language family: Niger-Congo
 Atlantic-Congo
  Volta-Congo
   Benue-Congo
    Bantoid
     Southern
      Narrow Bantu
       Central
        Masaba-Luyia
         Luyia
          oLuLuhya
Language codes
ISO 639-1: -
ISO 639-2: bnt
ISO 639-3:

Luhya (also Luyia, Luhia) is a group of Bantu languages spoken in the western part of Kenya by the Luhya people residing between Lake Victoria, Uganda and Mount Elgon. The Luhya area extends into Uganda, where closely related languages like Masaba and Nyole are found.

Kenya is divided into 8 provinces. The Luhya traditionally occupied Western province, as well as the Rift Valley province areas around Kitale. The Luhya number about 6,000,000 currently in Kenya alone though can be close to 10,000,000 together with their Uganda and Tanzania counterparts. The languages of the Luhya are similar in structure but are different from one another to the extent that none of them has been designated as the central dialect. Some of the sub-tribes have similarities to the Baganda tribe of Uganda with some having words from the neighbouring tribes like the Luo and Kalenjin. There are Bible translations in the Maragoli, Wanga and Bukusu dialects.