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Malcolm Guthrie was an English linguist who specialized in Bantu languages.
The Makaa–Njem languages are a group of Bantu languages spoken in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. They are coded Zone A.80 in Guthrie's classification.
The 250 or so "Narrow Bantu languages" are conventionally divided up into geographic zones first proposed by Malcolm Guthrie (1967–1971). These were assigned letters A–S and divided into decades ; individual languages were assigned unit numbers, and dialects further subdivided. This coding system has become the standard for identifying Bantu languages; it was a practical way to distinguish many ambiguously named languages before the introduction of ISO 639-3 coding, and it continues to be widely used. Only Guthrie's Zone S is (sometimes) considered to be a genealogical group. Since Guthrie's time a Zone J has been set up as another possible genealogical group bordering the Great Lakes.
Mongo, also called Nkundo or Mongo-Nkundu, is a Bantu language spoken by several of the Mongo peoples in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mongo speakers reside in the north-west of the country over a large area inside the curve of the Congo River. Mongo is a tonal language.
The Bangi language, or Bobangi, is a relative and main lexical source of Lingala spoken in central Africa. Dialects of the language are spoken on both sides of the Ubangi River and Congo River.
The term Congo Pygmies, or recently had, a hunter-gatherer economy and a simple, non-hierarchical societal structure based on bands, are of short stature, have a deep cultural and religious affinity with the Congo forest and live in a generally subservient relationship with agricultural "patrons", with which they trade forest products such as meat and honey for agricultural and iron products.
Lega is a Bantu language, or dialect cluster, of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There are two major varieties, Shabunda Lega and Mwenga Lega; Mwenga Lega, with about 10% of speakers, finds Shabunda difficult to understand. Kanu has been assigned a separate ISO code but is a dialect of Shabunda, and no more divergent than other dialects.
The Nzebi languages are a series of Bantu languages spoken in the western Congo and in Gabon. They are coded Zone B.50 in Guthrie's classification. According to Nurse & Philippson (2003), the Nzebi languages form a valid node with West Teke (B.70). The languages are:
The Ngondi–Ngiri languages are a clade of Bantu languages. The Ngondi languages are coded Zone C.10 (Ngondi) in Guthrie's classification. According to Nurse & Philippson (2003), they form a valid node with the Ngiri language(s) of C.30:
The Soko or Soko–Kele languages are a clade of Bantu languages coded Zone C.50–60 in Guthrie's classification. According to Nurse & Philippson (2003), apart from Mongo (Nkundo), the languages form a valid node. They are:
Kuba is a Bantu language of Kasai, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Holoholo is a Bantu language of DR Congo and formerly in Tanzania spoken by the Holoholo people on either side of Lake Tanganyika. Classification is uncertain, but it may belong with the Takama group.
The Bangi–Tetela languages are a proposed intermediate clade of Bantu languages that comprise a large part of Guthrie's Zone C :
Bonjo, also known as Mbonzo or Impfondo, is a Bantu language spoken by around 3,000 people in northern Republic of Congo, particularly the Likouala Department near the town of Impfondo. Speakers are gradually shifting to Lingala.
Bango, is a Bantu language spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ethnologue suggests it may be a dialect of Budza, but Nurse & Philippson (2003) list it as one of the Bwa languages.
Suku is a Bantu language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Mbompo (Mpombo) is a Bantu language of Kasai, Democratic Republic of Congo. Nurse (2003) places it among the Bangi–Moi languages.
Zamba (Dzamba) is a Bantu language spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once considered a dialect of Bangi, Nurse (2003) places it closer to Lingala Instead Of Bangi.
Foto (Bafoto) is a Bantu language of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Guthrie classified it close to Mongo. However, Mongo and its closest relatives were split between the Bangi–Ntomba and Soko–Kele branches of Bantu in Nurse (2003), and it is not clear where Foto belongs.
Losengo (Lusengo) is a Bantu language spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It has had a significant effect on Lingala, the most important Bantu language in the two Congos.
References
- Nurse, Derek; Philippson, Gérard, eds. (2003). The Bantu languages. London: Routledge. ISBN 9780700711345.