Luba-Katanga language
Luba-Katanga, also known as Luba-Shaba and Kiluba (Luba-Katanga: Kiluba), is one of the two major Bantu languages spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo called "Luba". (See Luba-Kasai.) It is spoken mostly in the south-east area of the country by the Luba people.[3]
| Luba-Katanga | |
|---|---|
| Kiluba | |
| Native to | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Region | Katanga Province |
Native speakers | (1,505,000 cited 1991)[1] |
| Official status | |
Official language in |  Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-1 | lu |
| ISO 639-2 | lub |
| ISO 639-3 | lub |
| Glottolog | luba1250 |
L.33[2] | |
Kiluba is spoken in the area around Kabongo, Kamina, Luena, Lubudi, Malemba Nkulu, Mulongo, Kabalo and Kaniama,mostly in Katanga. Some 500 years ago or more, the Luba Kasai left Katanga and settled in the Kasai; since then, Luba Kasai (Chiluba) has evolved until it is no longer mutually intelligible with Luba Katanga.
Phonology
Vowels
A five vowel system with vowel length is present in Luba-Katanga:
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i iː | u uː | |
| Mid | e eː | o oː | |
| Open | a aː |
Consonants
| Bilabial | Labio- dental |
Alveolar | Post-alv./ Palatal |
Velar | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | ||
| Stop | voiceless | p | t | k | ||
| voiced | b | d | ɡ | |||
| vl. prenasal | ᵐp | ⁿt | ᵑk | |||
| vd. prenasal | ᵐb | ⁿd | ᵑɡ | |||
| Fricative | voiceless | (ɸ) | f | s | ʃ | |
| voiced | (β) | v | z | ʒ | ||
| vl. prenasal | ᶬf | ⁿs | ⁿʃ | |||
| vd. prenasal | ᶬv | ⁿz | ⁿʒ | |||
| Approximant | l | j | w | |||
- /p, b/ can have the allophones [ɸ, β] when in intervocalic positions or before a semivowel.[4]
- Sample text in Luba-Katanga Pādi palembwe amba mwingidi wa “Tattannu, muledi wa Bukila bwa Munonga” —ko kunena’mba i enka Tatenai utelelwe ne mu mukanda wa mu Bible wa Ezela.
References
- Luba-Katanga at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
- Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
- Batibo, Herman (January 2005). Language Decline and Death in Africa. Multilingual Matters. p. 74. ISBN 1-85359-808-9.
- Nkiko, Munya Rugero (1975). Esquisse grammaticale de la langue luba-shaba (parler de Kasongo Nyembo). Lubumbashi: Université Nationale du Zaïre.
- Samuel Phillips Verner (1899). Mukanda wa Chiluba. Spottiswoode. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
External links
- Mofeko (Tshiluba language) Largest online resource to learn Tshiluba
- Ethnologue report on Luba-Katanga
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