Luhya language
Bantu language spoken in Kenya
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Luhya (/ˈluːjə/; also Luyia, Oluluyia, Luhia or Luhiya) is a Bantu language of western Kenya.
| Luhya | |
|---|---|
| Luyia | |
| Oluluhya | |
| Native to | Kenya |
| Ethnicity | Luhya |
Early form | Proto-Luhya[1]
|
| Latin | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | luy – inclusive code (includes all languages spoken by ethnic Luhya, not just the following)[2]Individual codes: lrm – Maramalwg – Wanga (Hanga)lks – Kisalto – Tsotsolkb – Kabrasnle – (East) Nyala |
| Glottolog | cent2288 Central Luyia (incl. some Nyore)kabr1240 Kabras |
JE.32[3] | |
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:[4]
- Wanga (OluWanga)
- Tsotso (OluTsotso)
- Marama (OluMarama)
- Kisa (OluShisa)
- Kabras (LuKabarasi)
- East Nyala (LuNyala)
All Luhya subtribes
Comparison
A comparison between two dialects of Luhya proper, and to two other Bantu languages spoken by the Luhya:
Comparison to Bantu
Phonology
The following is the phonology of the Luwanga dialect:[5]
Vowels
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