Havu language

{{Short description|Language}}

{{distinguish|Hawu language}}

{{Infobox language

| name = Havu

| nativename = Kihavu, Gihavu

| states = Democratic Republic of Congo

| region = Sud-Kivu Province

| speakers = {{sigfig|506,000|2}}

| date = 2002

| ref = e18

| familycolor = Niger-Congo

| fam2 = Atlantic–Congo

| fam3 = Benue–Congo

| fam4 = Bantoid

| fam5 = Bantu

| fam6 = Northeast Bantu

| fam7 = Great Lakes Bantu

| fam8 = Shi–Havu

| iso3 = hav

| glotto = havu1238

| glottorefname = Havu

| guthrie = JD.52

}}

Havu (also Haavu{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}, Kihavu,{{Cite book |last=Zidahwa Kavura |first=Emery |url=https://congomemoire.net/content/2766/viewer |title=Kihavu Lexicon Compilation: Spelling and Basic Grammar |publisher=Institut superieur pedagogique de Bukavu |year=2021 |location=Bukavu |pages=36}} or Gihavu) is a Bantu language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is spoken mainly in the Idjwi and Kalehe territories of Sud-Kivu Province, in the east of the DRC.{{cite web|title=Ethnologue|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/language/hav|access-date=28 March 2013}} It is closely related to the Shi language.

The Havu language is also spoken in the city of Goma, north of the island. However, ethnic Havu in Goma are not using the language as much as those on the island of Idjwi.DeWitt, Stephanie. 2019. Language Choice among the Havu of the Democratic Republic of Congo: Comparing two speech communities an urban center and an isolated island. Dallas International University: MA thesis.