Luhya language
Bantu language spoken in Kenya
title: "Luhya language" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["luhya-language"] description: "Bantu language spoken in Kenya" topic_path: "general/luhya-language" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luhya_language" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Bantu language spoken in Kenya ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox language"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Luhya |
| altname | Luyia |
| nativename | Oluluhya |
| states | Kenya |
| ethnicity | Luhya |
| ref | e27 |
| script | Latin |
| familycolor | Niger-Congo |
| fam2 | Atlantic–Congo |
| fam3 | Volta-Congo |
| fam4 | Benue–Congo |
| fam5 | Bantoid |
| fam6 | Southern Bantoid |
| fam7 | Bantu |
| fam8 | Northeast Bantu |
| fam9 | Great Lakes Bantu |
| fam10 | Greater Luyia |
| protoname | Proto-Luhya |
| iso3 | luy |
| iso3comment | (includes all languages spoken by ethnic Luhya, not just the following) |
| lc1 | lrm |
| lc2 | lwg |
| lc3 | lks |
| lc4 | lto |
| lc5 | lkb |
| lc6 | nle |
| glotto | cent2288 |
| glottoname | Central Luyia (incl. some Nyore) |
| glottorefname | Central Luyia |
| glotto2 | kabr1240 |
| glottoname2 | Kabras |
| guthrie | JE.32 |
| :: |
|name=Luhya |altname=Luyia |nativename=Oluluhya |states=Kenya |region = |ethnicity=Luhya |date= |ref=e27 |script=Latin |familycolor=Niger-Congo |fam2=Atlantic–Congo |fam3=Volta-Congo |fam4=Benue–Congo |fam5=Bantoid |fam6=Southern Bantoid |fam7=Bantu |fam8=Northeast Bantu |fam9=Great Lakes Bantu |fam10=Greater Luyia | protoname = Proto-Luhya |iso3=luy |iso3comment=(includes all languages spoken by ethnic Luhya, not just the following) |lc1=lrm|ld1=Marama |lc2=lwg|ld2=Wanga (Hanga) |lc3=lks|ld3=Kisa |lc4=lto|ld4=Tsotso |lc5=lkb|ld5=Kabras |lc6=nle|ld6=(East) Nyala |glotto=cent2288 |glottoname=Central Luyia (incl. some Nyore) |glottorefname=Central Luyia |glotto2=kabr1240 |glottoname2=Kabras |guthrie=JE.32
Luhya (; also Luyia, Oluluyia, Luhia or Luhiya) is a Bantu language of western Kenya.
Dialects
The various Luhya tribes speak several related languages and dialects, though some of them are no closer to each other than they are to neighboring non-Luhya languages. For example, the Bukusu people are ethnically Luhya, but the Bukusu dialect is a variety of Masaba. (See Luhya people for details.) However, there is a core of mutually intelligible dialects that comprise Luhya proper:
- Wanga (OluWanga)
- Tsotso (OluTsotso)
- Marama (OluMarama)
- Kisa (OluShisa)
- Kabras (LuKabarasi)
- East Nyala (LuNyala)
All Luhya subtribes
- Banyala
- Bukusu
- Gisu people
- Idakho
- Isukha
- Kabras
- Khayo
- Kisa tribe
- Marachi
- Maragoli
- Marama
- Masaaba
- Nyole
- Samia
- Tachoni
- Tiriki
- Tsotso
- Wanga
Comparison
A comparison between two dialects of Luhya proper, and to two other Bantu languages spoken by the Luhya: ::data[format=table]
| English | Kisa | Logoli | Nyole | Wanga |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I (me) | eshie | nzi/ inze | ise | esie |
| words | amakhuwa | makuva | amang'ana, amakhuwa | amakhuwa |
| chair | eshifumbi | indeve/ endeve | indebe | eshisala |
| head | omurwe | mutwi | omurwe | om'rwe |
| money | amapesa | mang'ondo | amang'ondo, am'mondo, etsilupia | amapesa, irupia |
| :: |
Comparison to Bantu
::data[format=table]
| English | Luhya | Kikuyu | Kinyarwanda | Lingala | Luganda | Shona | Swahili | Zulu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| children | abana, baana, otwana, orwana, vaana | twana | abana | bana | baana, abaana | vana | wana | abantwana |
| dog | imbwa | ngui (pron. gui) | imbwa | mbwa | mbwa, embwa | mbwa, imbwa | mbwa | inja |
| fire | omuliro | mwaki | umuriro | moto | omuliro | moto | moto | umlilo |
| :: |
Phonology
The following is the phonology of the Luwanga dialect:
Vowels
::data[format=table]
| Front | Central | Back | Close | Mid | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| i iː | u uː | ||||
| e eː | o oː | ||||
| a aː | |||||
| :: |
Consonants
::data[format=table] | Bilabial | Labio- dental | Alveolar | Post- alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Stop | plain | prenasal | Affricate | Fricative | plain | prenasal | Nasal | Trill | Approximant | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | p | | t | | | k | | | | | | | | | | | | ᵐb | | ⁿd | | ᶮɟ | ᵑɡ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ts | tʃ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | β | f | s | ʃ | | x | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ⁿz | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | m | | n | | ɲ | ŋ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | r | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | l | | j | w | | | | | | | | | | | ::
References
- Musimbi Kanyoro (1989), "The Abaluyia of Kenya; one people, one language: What can be learned from the Luyia project": The Abaluyia of Western Kenya. (p. 27).
- Wanga-English Dictionary
References
- Osotsi, Eric M.. (2018). "A Systematic Reconstruction Of The Phonology Of Proto-Luyia". University of Nairobi.
- "639 Identifier Documentation: luy". [[SIL International]].
- Maho (2019)
- Abdulmajid, Akidah Mohammed. (2000). "Luwanga morphophonemics: a natural generative phonology". University of Nairobi.
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