Luhya language

Luhya (also Luyia, Luhia) is a Bantu dialect cluster spoken in the western part of Kenya by the Luhya people. Minor populations of Luhya speakers are also found in Uganda, especially in Busia. Although the Luhya principally occupy the Western province of Kenya, substantial populations have settled in the Kitale area of the Rift Valley Province. The Luhya population in Kenya is about 8,000,000, while those in Uganda and Tanzania account for about 50,000.

However, today, due to various social, economical, political and historical stimuli, people of Luhya descent also live in other parts of the country - and indeed, the world.

Luhya tribes

The Luhya (pronounced loo-yah) community is composed of 16 tribes. Each tribe speaks a dialect distinctly different from the others, though several are mutually intelligible.

The Idakho, Isukha, and Tirichi speak essentially the same dialect. These are largely intelligible with Bukusu, Logoli, Nyala, and Kenyan Nyole. Other varieties with high degrees of mutual intelligibility are Ugandan Nyole and Samia; Wanga, Marama, and Kisa; Marachi and Khayo; Tachoni and Kabaras. There is a Tachoni dialect of Bukusu; it is not clear if this is the same Tachoni. Bukusu is also intelligible with Masaba, which is not considered Luhya because its speakers are ethnically distinct.

Vocabulary

All Luhya dialects have similarities as well as differences as with all Bantu languages. Sometimes, similarities exist with other languages that are not even African. A few examples are outlined below.

Comparison between Luhya dialects

Comparison of Luhya with some other Bantu languages

Comparison of Maragoli with other world languages

References

1. ^ Ethnologue gives 3.0 million for half of the dialects, with data from between 1980 and 2002.
2. ^ Luhya languages according Ethnologue

• Musimbi Kanyoro (1989), "The Abaluyia of Kenya; one people, one language: What can be learned from the Luyia project": The Abaluyia of Western Kenya. (p. 27).
• Wanga-English dictionary