Luhya language

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Luhya
Luyia
Oluluhya
Native to Kenya
Ethnicity Luhya people
Native speakers
1.2 million, incl. West Nyala (2009 census)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3 luyinclusive 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
Glottolog cent2288  (Central Luyia (incl. some Nyore))[2]
kabr1240  (Kabras)[3]
JE.32[4]

Luhya (/ˈljə/; also Luyia, Luhia or 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:[5]

  • 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 Luhya Kikuyu Kinyarwanda Lingala Luganda Shona Swahili Zulu
children abana, baana, otwana, orwana, vaana twana abana bana baana, abaana vana wana umntwana
dog imbwa ngui (pron. gui) imbwa mbwa mbwa, embwa mbwa, imbwa mbwa inja
fire omuliro mwaki umuriro moto omuliro moto moto umlilo

External links

References

  1. Luhya at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
    Marama at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
    Wanga (Hanga) at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
    Kisa at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
    Tsotso at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
    Kabras at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
    (East) Nyala at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
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  4. Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  5. Maho (2009)