| 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]
Writing system
[edit]| a | b | d | e | f | g | h | i | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | y | z |
Phonetics
[edit]Consonants
[edit]| Labial | Dental | Alveolar | Retroflex | Postalveolar/ Palatal | Velar | Glottal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ ⟨ny⟩ | |||||
| Stop | prenasalized | ᵐb ⟨mb⟩ | ⁿd ⟨nd⟩ | ᶮɟ ⟨ngy⟩ | ᵑɡ ⟨ng⟩ | |||
| implosive/ voiced | ɓ ⟨bb⟩ | d | ɟ ⟨gy⟩ | g | ||||
| voiceless | p | t | ʈ ⟨th⟩ | c ⟨ky⟩ | k | |||
| voiceless prenasalized | ⁿt ⟨nt⟩ | |||||||
| Affricate | t͡s ⟨ts⟩ | |||||||
| Fricative | prenasalized | ⁿz ⟨nz⟩ | ||||||
| voiced | v | β ⟨b⟩ | z | ɣ ⟨gh⟩ | ||||
| voiceless | f | s | h ⟨h⟩ | |||||
| Approximant | l | ɭ ⟨lh⟩ | j ⟨y⟩ | w | ||||
| Rhotic | r | |||||||
Vowels
[edit]Konzo is characterized by distinguishing advanced and retracted tongue root.[5]
| Front | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| Close | i | u |
| Near-close | ɪ | ʊ |
| Mid | ɛ | ɤ o |
| Open | a |
Basic vocabulary
[edit]List of basic phrases and words.[6]
- Good morning – wabukire
- Good afternoon – wasibire
- Good night - ukeyesaye buholho
- Thank you (very much) – wasingya (kutsibu)
- How are you? – ghune wuthi?
- How are you? – muneyo?
- Fine – ngane ndeke
- Sir/man – mulhume
- Madam/woman – mukalhi
- Boy – omuthabana
- Girl – omumbesa
- Dear – mwanithu
- Friend – omukaghu
- King – mukama/mwami omusinga
- 2-10 – ibiri, isatu, ini, ithanu, mukagha, musanju, munani, mwenda, ikumi
- Car – engumbaghalhi
- Water – amaghetse
- Gift – kihembo
- House - enumba
- Goat - embene
- Dog - embwa
References
[edit]- ^ a b Konjo at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
- ^ Kambale 2007.
- ^ a b "Konjo language and pronunciation". omniglot.com. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
- ^ Derek Nurse; Gérard Philippson, eds. (2003). The Bantu languages. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-7007-1134-1. OCLC 50323065.
- ^ Kambale, Balinandi (2009). Lhukonzo - English -- English - Lhukonzo Dictionary. Kampala: Fountain Publishers. ISBN 978-9970-02-574-9.
Works cited
[edit]- Kambale, Balinandi (2007). Lhukonzo literature grammar (PDF). Kisubi: Marianum Press.
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