Lugbara | |
---|---|
Native to | Uganda, DR Congo |
Ethnicity | Lugbara |
Native speakers | 1.6 million (2014 Census) [1] |
Latin | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | Either: lgg – Lugbara snm – Southern Maʼdi |
Glottolog | lugb1240 Lugbara sout2828 S. Maʼdi |
Lugbara, or Lugbarati, is the language of the Lugbara people. It is spoken in the West Nile region in northwestern Uganda, as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Orientale Province with a little extension to the South Sudan as the Zande or Azande people. [2]
The Aringa language, also known as Low Lugbara, is closely related, and sometimes considered a dialect of Lugbara. In fact, among the Lugbara of Uganda, it is one of the five clans (Ayivu clan, Vurra clan, Terego clan, Maracha clan, and Aringa clan). [3] Some scholars classify the Lugbara language itself as a dialect of the Maʼdi language, though this is not generally accepted. [4] An SIL survey report concluded that the Okollo, Ogoko, and Rigbo dialects, called "Southern Maʼdi", should be classified as dialects of Lugbara.
Front | Central | Back | |
---|---|---|---|
Close | i | u | |
Near-close | ɪ | ʊ | |
Close-mid | ɛ ~ e | ɔ ~ o | |
Open-mid | ( ʌ ) | ||
Open | a |
![]() | This article should specify the language of its non-English content, using {{ langx }}, {{ transliteration }} for transliterated languages, and {{ IPA }} for phonetic transcriptions, with an appropriate ISO 639 code. Wikipedia's multilingual support templates may also be used.(June 2022) |
Labial | Dental | Alveolar | Postalv./ Palatal | Velar | Labial- velar | Glottal | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
plain | trilled | ||||||||
Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ( ŋ ) | |||||
Plosive/ Affricate | voiceless | p | t | tʳ | t͡s | ( t͡ʃ ) | k | k͡p | ʔ |
voiced | b | d | dʳ | d͡z | ( d͡ʒ ) | ɡ | ɡ͡b | ||
prenasal | ᵐb | ⁿd | ⁿdʳ | ᵑɡ | ᵑᵐɡ͡b | ||||
implosive | ɓ | ɗ | |||||||
Fricative | voiceless | f | s | h | |||||
voiced | v | z | |||||||
prenasal | ᶬv | ⁿz | |||||||
Trill | r | ||||||||
Tap | ( ɺ ) | ||||||||
Approximant | lateral | l | |||||||
plain | j | w | |||||||
preglottal | ˀj | ˀw |
Lugbara was first written by Christian missionaries in 1918, based on the Ayivu dialect. In 2000, a conference was held in the city of Arua in northwestern Uganda regarding the creation of a standardised international orthography for Lugbara. [7]
The Simplified Lugbara alphabet has 28 letters. there is no q or x, and there are four letters for glottalized consonants, namely: ʼb as in ʼbua, ʼd as in ʼdia, ʼw as in ʼwara, and ʼy as in ʼyeta.
In 1992, the Government of Uganda designated it as one of five "languages of wider communication" to be used as the medium of instruction in primary education; however, unlike the other four such languages, it was never actually used in schools. [7] More recently it was included in the curriculum for some secondary schools in the West Nile region, including St. Joseph's College Ombaci and Muni Girls Secondary School, both in Arua District.[ citation needed ]
Number | Translation |
---|---|
0. | Toko/ ogbo |
1. | Alu |
2. | Iri |
3. | Na |
4. | Su |
5. | Towi/ tawu |
6. | Azia |
7. | Aziri |
8. | Aro |
9. | Oromi |
10. | Mudri/ modri |
11. | Mudri drini alu |
12. | Mudri drini iri |
13. | Mudri drini na |
20. | Kali iri |
21. | Kali iri drini alu |
22. | Kali iri drini iri |
23. | Kali iri drini na |
30. | Kali na |
40. | Kali su |
100. | Turu alu |
500. | Turu towi |
900. | Turu oromi |
5,000. | Alifu towi |
4M. | Milioni su |
7B. | Bilioni aziri |
12T. | Trilioni mudri drini iri |
Lugbara | English |
---|---|
Mi ifu ngoni? | How did you wake up?/ Good morning! |
(Mi) ngoni? | How (are you)? |
(Ma) muke! | (I'm) fine! |
Ma azoru! | I'm sick! |
Mi aa ngoni? | How did you stay? |
Ayiko ni ma fu! | Happiness is killing me!/ I'm happy! |
Abiri ni ma fu(fu)! | Hunger is killing me!/ I'm hungry! |
Sa(w)a si? | What time is it? |
Etu alu oʼbitisi. | 7:00 a.m. [To tell time, you mention the number on the opposite side of the clock. Etu iri is 8 o'clock, etu na is 9 o'clock, etc.] |
Etu mudri drini alu | 5:00 p.m. |
Mi efi! | Come in! |
Ife mani yi! | Give me water! |
Kirikiri! | Please! |
Ada! | True! |
Inzo! | Lies! |
Iko ma aza! | Help me! |
Ine! | See! |
Mi a'bua ozi si? | How much do you sell bananas? |
Ajeni si? | How much [is the price]? |
A le Obangulu! | I want mashed whiteants! |
Ma mu Gili Gili-a ngoni? | How do I get to Gili Gili? |
Arojo ngoa? | Where is the drugshop/clinic/hospital? |
Mi ru a'di-i? | What is your name? |
Ma ru Aiko-i! | I'm called Aiko! |
Te mi-i? | How about you? |
Mi omve ma Letasi! | You call me Letasi! |
Awaʼdi fo! | Thanks! |
A le mi! | I love you!/I need you!/I want you! |
Ma enga Ediofe-a. | I'm from Ediofe. |
Ma mu kanisa-a. | I'm going to church. |
Mi ma agi! | You are my friend! |
Ma mu Ojapi-a ngoni? | How do I get to Ojapi? |
Masikiti ngoa? | Where is the mosque? |
Mi ma ji Ragemu-a ra? | Can you take me to Ragem? |
Iji ma Ringili-a! | Take me to Ringili! |
'Ba mucele ozi ngoa? | Where is rice sold? |
Aje/ andru/ drusi/ drozi | Yesterday/ today/ tomorrow/ the day after tomorrow |
Ila muke! | Sleep well! |
A le ra! | I do want! [The word 'ra' after a verb denotes positivity.] |
A le ku! | I don't want! [The word 'ku' after a verb denotes negativity.] |
Grandfather (aʼbi, aʼbipi)
Grandmother (dede, edapi, e'di)
Grandson (mvia)
Granddaughter (zia)
Father (ati, ata)
Mother (andri, andre, ayia)
Husband (agupi)
Wife (oku)
Son (agupiamva, mvi)
Daughter (zamva, zi)
Brother (adri)
Sister (amvi)
Uncles (paternal: atapuru [singular], atapuruka [plural]; maternal: adroyi [singular], adropi [plural])
Aunts (paternal: andrapuru [singular], andrapuruka [plural and in some cases maternal]; maternal: awupi [singular], awupika [plural]
Cousin (atapurumva)
Cousin brother(s) (atapuruka anzi); also adri, adripika
Cousin sister(s) (atapuruka ezopi); also amvi, amvupika
NB: Strictly speaking, the word cousin is alien in Lugbara culture. Cousins are brothers and sisters.
Nephews (adro anzi) - maternal nephews
Nieces (adro ezoanzi, ezapi) - maternal nieces
Father-in-law (anya)
Mother-in-law (edra)
Brother-in-law (oti, otuo)
Sister-in-law (onyere)
1 week (Sabatu alu, sabiti alu, yinga alu, yumula alu)
A day is called Oʼdu in Lugbara.
Sunday (Sabatu, sabiti)
Monday (Oʼdu alu)
Tuesday (Oʼdu iri)
Wednesday (Oʼdu na)
Thursday (Oʼdu su)
Friday (Oʼdu towi)
Saturday (Oʼdu azia, Sabato)
The simplest way to refer to months (Mba in Lugbara) is to use numbers, for example January is Mba Alu, February is Mba Iri, May is Mba Towi and so on. But below is the other Latinized (and seasonal) way of mentioning them.
Januari/ Oco ʼdupa sere (January)
Feburili/ Kuluni (February)
Marici/ Zengulu (March)
Aprili/ Ayi - Wet season (April)
Mayi/ Ayi Eti (May)
Juni/ Emveki (June)
Julayi/ Eri (July)
Agoslo/ Iripaku (August)
Sebitemba/ Lokopere (September)
Okitoba/ Abibi (October)
Novemba/ Waa (November)
Desemba/ Anyu fi kuma (December)
Lugbara | English |
---|---|
Agupi | Men |
Oku | Women |
Eka, Ika by Terego (red)
Foro foro (gray)
Foroto (grayish)
Imve (white)
Imve silili, imve whilili, imve sisirili (very pure white)
Imvesi-enisi (black and white)
Ini (black)
Inibiricici, inicici, inikukuru (very dark)
Lugbara | English |
---|---|
Mucele | Rice |
Fun(y)o | Groundnut |
Gbanda/ Ola | Cassava |
Osu | Bean, Kaiko in Terego dialect |
Burusu/ Buruso | Guinea pea |
Kaka | Maize |
Ago | Pumpkin |
Anyu | Simsim |
Ondu | Sorghum |
Maaku | Potato |
(M)ayu(ni) | Yam |
Onya | Whiteant |
Ope | Guinea fowl |
Au | Chicken |
Eza | Meat |
Ti eza | Cow meat |
Ndri eza | Goat meat |
Eʼbi | Fish |
Kawa | Coffee |
Majani | Tea |
I'di | Porridge |
Kpete | Beer |
Mbasala | Onion |
Nyanya | Tomato |
Cikiri/ Osu nyiri | Chick pea |
Lugbara AI refers to Artificial Intelligence technology or machines that use Lugbara. The Sunbird Translate system [8] can automatically take text from Lugbara. [9] It includes locally relevant topics such as healthcare, agriculture and society. [10] With its partners including Makerere University AI Lab, Sunbird AI (a Ugandan startup) has built open Lugbara datasets, translation and speech systems. It is also used by banks. [11]
Furthermore, other developers are also working on projects. [12]
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