Login
Login

Konjo language (Bantu)

{{Short description|Bantu language spoken in Central Africa}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Konjo

|nativename=Olhukonzo

|states=Uganda and Democratic Republic of the Congo

|region=

|ethnicity=Bakonjo

|speakers={{sigfig|609,000|2}} in Uganda

|date=2002 census

|ref=e18

|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=Rwenzori

|iso3=koo

|glotto=konz1239

|glottorefname=Konzo

|guthrie=JD.41

}}

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).

Writing system

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

|+ Konzo alphabet{{sfn|Kambale|2007}}

| a

bdef

| g

hikl

| m

nopq

| r

stuv

| w

yz

Phonetics

= Consonants =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+Konzo consonant phonemes{{Cite web |title=Konjo language and pronunciation |url=https://omniglot.com/writing/konjo.htm |access-date=2022-10-29 |website=omniglot.com}}

! colspan="2" |

!Labial

!Dental

!Alveolar

!Retroflex

!Postalveolar/ Palatal

!Velar

!Glottal

colspan="2" |Nasal

|{{IPA link|m}}

|

|{{IPA link|n}}

|

|{{IPA link|ɲ}} {{grapheme|ny}}

|

|

rowspan="4" |Stop

!prenasalized

|{{IPAlink|ᵐb}} {{grapheme|mb}}

|

|{{IPA link|ⁿd}} {{grapheme|nd}}

|

|{{IPA link|ᶮɟ}} {{grapheme|ngy}}

|{{IPA link|ᵑɡ}} {{grapheme|ng}}

|

implosive/ voiced

|{{IPAlink|ɓ}} {{grapheme|bb}}

|

|{{IPA link|d}}

|

|{{IPA link|ɟ}} {{grapheme|gy}}

|{{IPA link|g}}

|

voiceless

|{{IPA link|p}}

|

|{{IPA link|t}}

|{{IPA link|ʈ}} {{grapheme|th}}

|{{IPA link|c}} {{grapheme|ky}}

|{{IPA link|k}}

|

voiceless prenasalized

|

|{{IPA link|ⁿt}} {{grapheme|nt}}

|

|

|

|

|

colspan="2" |Affricate

|

|

|{{IPA link|t͡s}} {{grapheme|ts}}

|

|

|

|

rowspan="3" |Fricative

!prenasalized

|

|

|{{IPA link|ⁿz}} {{grapheme|nz}}

|

|

|

|

voiced

|{{IPA link|v}}

|{{IPA link|β}} {{grapheme|b}}

|{{IPA link|z}}

|

|

|{{IPA link|ɣ}} {{grapheme|gh}}

|

voiceless

|{{IPA link|f}}

|

|{{IPA link|s}}

|

|

|

|{{IPA link|h}} {{angbr|h}}

colspan="2" |Approximant

|

|

|{{IPA link|l}}

|{{IPA link|ɭ}} {{grapheme|lh}}

|{{IPA link|j}} {{grapheme|y}}

|{{IPA link|w}}

|

colspan="2" |Rhotic

|

|

|{{IPA link|r}}

|

|

|

|

= Vowels =

Konzo is characterized by distinguishing advanced and retracted tongue root.{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50323065 |title=The Bantu languages |date=2003 |publisher=Routledge |editor1=Derek Nurse |editor2=Gérard Philippson |isbn=0-7007-1134-1 |location=London |oclc=50323065}}

== Konzo's IPA vowel chart ==

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

!

! Front

! Back

Close

| {{IPA link|i}}

| {{IPA link|u}}

Near-close

| {{IPA link|ɪ}}

| {{IPA link|ʊ}}

Mid

| {{IPA link|ɛ}}

| {{IPA link|ɤ}} {{IPA link|o}}

Open

| {{IPA link|a}}

|

Basic vocabulary

List of basic phrases and words.{{cite book |last=Kambale |first=Balinandi |date=2009 |title=Lhukonzo - English -- English - Lhukonzo Dictionary |location=Kampala |publisher=Fountain Publishers |isbn=978-9970-02-574-9 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/lhukonzoenglishe00kamb }}

  • 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

Grammar

= Verbs =

The infinitive is indicated by the prefix eri- (before a consonant) or ery- (before a vowel). For example: eryasa ("to' come").

References

{{Reflist}}

=Works cited=

  • {{cite book |language=en |first=Balinandi |last=Kambale |title=Lhukonzo literature grammar |publisher=Marianum Press |location=Kisubi |date=2007 |url=http://www.saint-peters-archives.org/files/mamamimi/LHUKONZO.pdf}}

{{Narrow Bantu languages (Zones C–D)}}

{{Narrow Bantu languages (Zones J–M)}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Category:Languages of Uganda

Category:Great Lakes Bantu languages

{{Uganda-stub}}

{{Bantu-lang-stub}}