Luhya language
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Luhya | |
|---|---|
| Luyia | |
| Oluluhya | |
| Native to | Kenya |
| Ethnicity | Luhya people |
Native speakers | 1.2 million (2009 census)[1] |
|
Niger–Congo
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 |
luy – inclusive code (includes all languages spoken by ethnic Luhya, not just the following) Individual codes: lrm – Marama lwg – Wanga (Hanga) lks – Kisa lto – Tsotso lkb – Kabras nle – East Nyala |
| JE.32[2] | |
Luhya (Luyia, Luhia, Luhiya) is a Bantu language of western Kenya.
Dialects
The various Luhya tribes speak several related languages and dialects, though some of them are no closer to each other than they are to neighboring non-Luhya languages. For example, the Bukusu people are ethnically Luhya, but the Bukusu dialect is a variety of Masaba. (See Luhya people for details.) However, there is a core of mutually intelligible dialects that comprise Luhya proper:[3]
- Hanga (OluWanga)
- Tsotso (OluTsotso)
- Marama (OluMarama)
- Kisa (OluShisa)
- Kabras (LuKabarasi)
- East Nyala (LuNyala)
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 | oluluyia | Luganda | Swahili | Kikuyu | Lingala | Shona | Zulu | Isixhosa | Kinyarwanda | children | abana, baana, otwana, orwana, vaana | baana, abaana | wana | twana | bana | vana | umntwana |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dog | imbwa | mbwa, embwa | mbwa | ngui (pronounced gui) | mbwa | mbwa, Imbwa | inja | ||||||||||
References
- ↑ Luhya reference at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
Marama reference at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
Wanga (Hanga) reference at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
Kisa reference at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
Tsotso reference at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
Kabras reference at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
East Nyala reference at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013) - ↑ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
- ↑ Maho (2009)
- 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
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