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Luhya language

Luhya
Luyia
Oluluhya
Native toKenya
EthnicityLuhya
Native speakers
30 million (2019 census)[1]
Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3luy – inclusive code (includes all languages spoken by ethnic Luhya, not just the following)[2]
Individual codes:
lrm – Marama
lwg – Wanga (Hanga)
lks – Kisa
lto – Tsotso
lkb – Kabras
nle – (East) Nyala
Glottologcent2288  Central Luyia (incl. some Nyore)
kabr1240  Kabras
JE.32[3]

Luhya (/ˈluːjə/; also Luyia, Oluluyia, 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:[4]

  • Wanga (OluWanga)
  • Tsotso (OluTsotso)
  • Marama (OluMarama)
  • Kisa (OluShisa)
  • Kabras (LuKabarasi)
  • East Nyala (LuNyala)

All Luhya subtribes

  1. Banyala
  2. Bukusu
  3. Gisu people
  4. Idakho
  5. Isukha
  6. Kabras
  7. Khayo
  8. Kisa tribe
  9. Marachi
  10. Maragoli
  11. Marama
  12. Masaaba
  13. Nyole
  14. Samia
  15. Tachoni
  16. Tiriki
  17. Tsotso
  18. Wanga

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 abantwana
dog imbwa ngui (pron. gui) imbwa mbwa mbwa, embwa mbwa, imbwa mbwa inja
fire omuliro mwaki umuriro moto omuliro moto moto umlilo

Phonology

The following is the phonology of the Luwanga dialect:[5]

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i iː u uː
Mid e eː o oː
Open a aː

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

References

  1. ^ Luhya at Ethnologue (27th ed., 2024) Closed access icon
    Marama at Ethnologue (27th ed., 2024) Closed access icon
    Wanga (Hanga) at Ethnologue (27th ed., 2024) Closed access icon
    Kisa at Ethnologue (27th ed., 2024) Closed access icon
    Tsotso at Ethnologue (27th ed., 2024) Closed access icon
    Kabras at Ethnologue (27th ed., 2024) Closed access icon
    (East) Nyala at Ethnologue (27th ed., 2024) Closed access icon
  2. ^ "639 Identifier Documentation: luy". SIL International.
  3. ^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  4. ^ Maho (2019)
  5. ^ Abdulmajid, Akidah Mohammed (2000). Luwanga morphophonemics: a natural generative phonology. University of Nairobi.
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