Luba-Kasai language

Spoken in

  • Niger - Congo languages Benue - Congo languages Bantoide languages Bantu languages Tschiluba

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Lua

Lua

Tschiluba ( Cilubà, Luba - Kasai, also: Western Luba, Luba - Kasai, Luba - Lulua, Luva ) is in the southeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo ( Kasai ) widespread Bantu language with about 6 million speakers.

Classification

Tschiluba is a language of the Bantu language family languages ​​from the group of Luba languages ​​in addition Kiluba (Luba - Katanga ), Sanga, Hemba and Kanyok.

  • Guthrie classification: L.31a/L31b, group L.30
  • Classification Bastin / Coupe / man: L.30

History

Tschiluba is originally the language of the Luba people in the Kasai region. Meanwhile, the language also understand many other peoples of the Congo, as they live together in everyday life with the Luba. However, they retain their own language.

Geographical distribution

People who speak that language who speak youwill from Kasai. They can be divided into 3 groups:

  • Luba Lubilanji (Baku - Kalonji; Baku - Nga or Bakwangaet; Bena - Mpuka, also known as Bena Mutu'a Mukuna; Bena Tshibanda ), in the East Kasai ( Mbuji -Mayi capital )
  • Bena Luluwa (including Mutombo and Bena - Katawa Bakwa ), Western Kasai ( capital Kananga )
  • Bakwa Luntu;

These three language groups are ethnic Luba or youwill. It is also called Luba - Kasai, because there is also a different ethnic group in the province of Katanga with the same name, but speak a different language, Kiluba. Many other ethnic groups from the two Kasai have learned through contact with the youwill Tshiluba and accepted as the common language, but their language retain their own language.

Official Status

Tschiluba belongs with the languages ​​of Swahili, Lingala and Kikongo to the four national languages ​​of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Dialects and sociolects

In the two Kasai, this language has some some phonetic and lexical differences. A few examples:

  • P ( lips close together and not closed) and h in words and Lupembe / Luhemba ( kaolin) or the village Lupatapata / Luhatahata (both in the western and eastern variant);
  • Matamba and Kalejs ( cassava leaves ), each in the western and eastern variant.

Phonetics and phonology

There is a classic debate and a traditional rural, the latter being somewhat dominant at the Bena Mutombo, Baku Katawa and Bakwa - Luntu. Example: Mbuji ( goat) in school or in Mbuji -Mayi, and mbushi in rural areas. Nzolu and Nzolo or Nsolu ( chicken); Nvula Mfula (rain ); And so on ... as the differences between Portuguese and Spanish.

Font

Since the mid-20th century, the Tschiluba finds limited use in writing.

Examples

First article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

Luba-Katanga language Lingua franca Kongo language France
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