Konjo language (Bantu)

Last updated
Konjo
Olhukonzo
Native to Uganda and Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ethnicity Bakonjo
Native speakers
610,000 in Uganda (2002 census) [1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3 koo
Glottolog konz1239
JD.41 [2]

The lhukonzo (Konzo) language, variously rendered Lukonzo, Olukonzo, and konzo, is a Bantu language spoken by the Konzo people of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It has a 77% lexical similarity with Nande. There are many dialects, including Sanza (Ekisanza). [1]

Contents

Writing system

Konzo alphabet [3]
abdefghiklmnopqrstuvwyz

Phonetics

Consonants

Konzo consonant phonemes [4]
Labial Dental Alveolar Retroflex Postalveolar/ Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m nny
Stop prenasalized ᵐb mb ⁿd nd ᶮɟ ngy ᵑɡ ng
implosive/ voiced ɓ bbd ɟ gyg
voiceless pt ʈ th c kyk
voiceless prenasalized ⁿt nt
Fricative prenasalized ⁿz nz
voiced v β bz ɣ gh
voiceless fs h h
Approximant l ɭ lhyw
Rhotic r

In addition to the phonemes noted above, Konzo also has a voiceless alveolar sibilant affricate /t͡s/.

Vowels

Konzo is characterized by distinguishing advanced and retracted tongue root. [5]

Konzo's IPA vowel chart [4]

FrontBack
Close i u
Near-close ɪ ʊ
Mid ɛ ɤ o
Open a

Basic vocabulary

List of basic phrases and words. [6]

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References

  1. 1 2 Konjo at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. Kambale 2007.
  4. 1 2 "Konjo language and pronunciation". omniglot.com. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  5. Derek Nurse; Gérard Philippson, eds. (2003). The Bantu languages. London: Routledge. ISBN   0-7007-1134-1. OCLC   50323065.
  6. Kambale, Balinandi (2009). Lhukonzo - English -- English - Lhukonzo Dictionary . Kampala: Fountain Publishers. ISBN   978-9970-02-574-9.

Works cited