Iramba language

{{Short description|Bantu language spoken in Tanzania}} {{Infobox language |name=Iramba |nativename=Nilamba |states=[[Tanzania]] |ethnicity=[[Nilamba people|Nilamba]], [[Iambi people|Iambi]] |speakers=682,000 |date=2016 |ref=<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/nim|title=Nilamba|work=Ethnologue|access-date=2018-08-14|language=en}}</ref> |familycolor=Niger-Congo |fam2=[[Atlantic–Congo languages|Atlantic–Congo]] |fam3=[[Volta-Congo]] |fam4=[[Benue–Congo languages|Benue–Congo]] |fam5=[[Bantoid]] |fam6=[[Southern Bantoid languages|Southern Bantoid]] |fam7=[[Bantu languages|Bantu]] |fam8=Nyaturu-Nilamba-Isanzu |iso3=nim |glotto=nila1242 |glottorefname=Nilamba |guthrie=F.31 |notice=IPA }}

'''Iramba''', also known as '''Nilamba''' (there is no distinction between {{IPA|[ɾ]}} and {{IPA|[l]}}) is a [[Bantu language]] spoken by the [[Nilamba people|Nilamba]] and [[Iambi people]] of the [[Iramba District]] in the [[Singida Region]] of [[Tanzania]].

The 50,000 Iambi speak a slightly divergent dialect, sometimes listed as a distinct language. On the other hand, the [[Isanzu language]] is sometimes included as a dialect.<ref name="Guthrie" />

==Name variants== Forms of the name occur with and without the prefix ''ni-'' or ''i-'', as well as ''iki-'' (Swahili ''ki-'') as the [[noun-class]] prefix for 'language', and variation of ''r ~ l ~ ly'' in the root. This results in many superficial variants, including ''Nilamba, Niramba, Nilyamba, Nyilamba, Ikinilamba, Ikiniramba, Ilamba, Iramba, Kinilamba, Kiniramba''; there is also ''Nilambari''.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/response.cgi?root=new100&morpho=0&basename=new100\bco\bnf&limit=-1 Nilamba basic lexicon at the Global Lexicostatistical Database]

{{Languages of Tanzania}} {{Narrow Bantu languages (Zones E–H)}} [[Category:Languages of Tanzania]] [[Category:Northeast Bantu languages]]