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Luyana language

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(Redirected from Luyana) Language in the Bantu family ‹ The template Infobox language is being considered for merging. ›
Luyana
Esiluyana
Native toZambia; immigrants in Namibia, Angola
RegionOkavango River
Native speakers480 Luyana proper (2010 census)
2,900 all Luyana (Kwandi, Kwangwa, and Luyana proper) (2010 census)
Language familyNiger–Congo?
Writing systemLatin
Language codes
ISO 639-3lyn
Glottologluya1241
Guthrie codeK.31

Luyana (Luyaana), also known as Luyi (Louyi, Lui, Rouyi), is a Bantu language spoken in Zambia and perhaps in small numbers in neighboring countries. It appears to be a divergent lineage of Bantu. It is spoken by the Luyana people, a subgroup of the Lozi people.

Ethnologue lists Kwandi, Mbowe, Mbume, and possibly Kwangwa ("Kwanga") as dialects. Maho (2009) classifies these as distinct languages; it is not clear if any of them are part of the divergent Luyana branch of Bantu, or if they are Kavango languages.

The writing system of the Luyana language was developed in 2011 and uses the Latin script.

The language is taught in primary schools and secondary schools.

Phonology

Vowels

Vowels
Front Back
Close i u
Mid e o
Open a

Luyana has five simple vowels: ⟨a⟩, ⟨e⟩, ⟨i⟩, ⟨o⟩, and ⟨u⟩. ⟨o⟩ is almost always open and is rarely closed. Wherever there may be hesitation between ⟨o⟩ and ⟨u⟩, ⟨u⟩ should be used.

There are no diphthongs. When two vowels meet, they contract, or one is omitted.

Consonants

The consonant inventory of Luyana is shown below.

Bilabial Dental/Alveolar Post-alveolar Palatal Velar
Plosive voiceless p k
voiced b ɡ
Affricate dz
Fricative s ʃ
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Approximant l j w

References

  1. ^ Luyana at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. ^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. Bantu Classification Archived 2012-06-24 at the Wayback Machine, Ehret, 2009.
  4. ^ https://www.ethnologue.com/language/lyn Luyana | Ethnologue
  5. ^ "Luyana sound inventory (PH)". Phoible. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  6. ^ Jacottet, E. (1896). "Grammaire Louyi". Etudes sur les langues du Haut-Zambeze (in French). pp. 81–87.

See also

Languages of Angola
Official language
National languages
Non-official
Languages of Zambia
Official language
Regional languages
Indigenous languages
Sign languages
Immigrant languages
Narrow Bantu languages (Zones J–M) (by Guthrie classification)
Zone J*
D40
D50
D60
E10
E20
E30
E40
F20
Zone K
K10
K20
K30
K40
Zone L
L10
L20
L30
L40
L50
L60
Zone M
M10
M20
M30
M40
M50
M60
  • The Guthrie classification is geographic and its groupings do not imply a relationship between the languages within them.
Narrow Bantu languages by Guthrie classification zone templates
Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones A–B)
Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones C–D)
Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones E–H)
Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones J–M)
Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones N–S)


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