{{Short description|Bantu language spoken in Kenya}} {{Infobox language |name=Luhya |altname=Luyia |nativename={{lang|luy|Oluluhya}} |states=[[Kenya]] |region = |ethnicity=[[Luhya people|Luhya]] |date= |ref=e27 |script=[[Latin alphabet|Latin]] |familycolor=Niger-Congo |fam2=[[Atlantic–Congo languages|Atlantic–Congo]] |fam3=[[Volta-Congo]] |fam4=[[Benue–Congo languages|Benue–Congo]] |fam5=[[Bantoid languages|Bantoid]] |fam6=[[Southern Bantoid languages|Southern Bantoid]] |fam7=[[Bantu languages|Bantu]] |fam8=[[Northeast Bantu]] |fam9=[[Great Lakes Bantu]] |fam10=[[Greater Luyia languages|Greater Luyia]] | protoname = '''Proto-Luhya'''<ref>{{cite thesis|url=https://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/154048|title=A Systematic Reconstruction Of The Phonology Of Proto-Luyia|last=Osotsi|first=Eric M.|degree=Master of Arts|publisher=University of Nairobi|date=2018}}</ref> |iso3=luy |iso3comment=(includes all languages spoken by ethnic Luhya, not just the following)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://iso639-3.sil.org/code/luy|title=639 Identifier Documentation: luy|publisher=[[SIL International]]}}</ref> |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''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|uː||j|ə}}; also '''Luyia''', '''Oluluyia''', '''Luhia''' or '''Luhiya''') is a [[Bantu language]] of [[Western Province (Kenya)|western]] [[Kenya]].
==Dialects== The various [[Luhya people|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 language|Masaba]]. (See [[Luhya people]] for details.) However, there is a core of [[mutually intelligible]] dialects that comprise Luhya proper:<ref>Maho (2019)</ref> *Wanga {{lang|lwg|(OluWanga)}} *Tsotso {{lang|lto|(OluTsotso)}} *Marama {{lang|lrm|(OluMarama)}} *Kisa {{lang|lks|(OluShisa)}} *Kabras {{lang|lkb|(LuKabarasi)}} *East Nyala {{lang|nle|(LuNyala)}}
===All Luhya subtribes=== #[[Banyala]] #[[Bukusu]] #[[Gisu people|Gisu]] #[[Idakho]] #[[Isukha]] #[[Kabras]] #[[Khayo]] #[[Kisa tribe|Kisa]] #[[Marachi]] #[[Maragoli]] #[[Marama tribe|Marama]] #[[Masaba language|Masaaba]] #[[Nyole tribe|Nyole]] #[[Samia tribe|Samia]] #[[Tachoni]] #[[Tiriki]] #[[Tsotso]] #[[Wanga Kingdom|Wanga]]
===Comparison=== A comparison between two dialects of Luhya proper, and to two other Bantu languages spoken by the Luhya: {|class="wikitable" ! '''[[English language|English]]''' ! '''Kisa''' ! '''[[Logoli language|Logoli]]''' ! '''[[Nyole language (Kenya)|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 === {|class="wikitable" ! '''[[English language|English]]''' ! '''Luhya''' ! '''[[Gikuyu language|Kikuyu]]''' ! '''[[Kinyarwanda]]''' ! '''[[Lingala language|Lingala]]''' ! '''[[Luganda]]''' ! '''[[Shona language|Shona]]''' ! '''[[Kiswahili language|Swahili]]''' ! '''[[Isizulu language|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:<ref>{{Cite book|last=Abdulmajid|first=Akidah Mohammed|title=Luwanga morphophonemics: a natural generative phonology|publisher=University of Nairobi|year=2000}}</ref>
=== Vowels === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! ![[Front vowel|Front]] ![[Central vowel|Central]] ![[Back vowel|Back]] |- align="center" ![[Close vowel|Close]] |i iː | |u uː |- align="center" ![[Mid vowel|Mid]] |e eː | |o oː |- align="center" ![[Open vowel|Open]] | |a aː | |}
=== Consonants === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan="2" | ![[Bilabial consonant|Bilabial]] ![[Labiodental consonant|Labio-<br>dental]] ![[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]] ![[Postalveolar consonant|Post-<br>alveolar]] ![[Palatal consonant|Palatal]] ![[Velar consonant|Velar]] |- ! rowspan="2" |[[Stop consonant|Stop]] !<small>plain</small> |p | |t | | |k |- !<small>[[Prenasalized consonant|prenasal]]</small> |ᵐb | |ⁿd | |ᶮɟ |ᵑɡ |- ! colspan="2" |[[Affricate consonant|Affricate]] | | |ts |tʃ | | |- ! rowspan="2" |[[Fricative consonant|Fricative]] !<small>plain</small> |β |f |s |ʃ | |x |- !<small>[[Prenasalized consonant|prenasal]]</small> | | |ⁿz | | | |- ! colspan="2" |[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]] |m | |n | |ɲ |ŋ |- ! colspan="2" |[[Trill consonant|Trill]] | | |r | | | |- ! colspan="2" |[[Approximant consonant|Approximant]] | | |l | |j |w |}
== References == <references /> *[https://web.archive.org/web/20121011200803/http://www.sil.org/acpub/repository/22547.pdf 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).] *[https://www.academia.edu/9346974/Wanga_English_Dictionary Wanga-English Dictionary]
== External links == *[http://mammana.org/bcp/luhya1967/ Eshitabo Eshiokhulaama nende Tsisakalamendo nende Akebiima Bindi Bieikanisa] 1967 Anglican liturgical text digitized by Richard Mammana
{{Languages of Kenya}} {{Languages of Uganda}} {{Narrow Bantu languages (Zones E–H)}} {{Narrow Bantu languages (Zones J–M)}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Luhya language| ]]