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Luyana language

Last updated: 2025-08-01 23:54:51

Luyana language
Luyana
Esiluyana
Native toZambia; immigrants in Namibia, Angola
RegionOkavango River
Native speakers
480 Luyana proper (2010 census)[1]
2,900 all Luyana (Kwandi, Kwangwa, and Luyana proper) (2010 census)[1]
Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3lyn
Glottologluya1241
K.31[2]

Luyana (Luyaana), also known as Luyi (Louyi, Lui, Rouyi), is a Bantu language spoken in Zambia and perhaps in small numbers in neighboring countries. It appears to be a divergent lineage of Bantu.[3] It is spoken by the Luyana people, a subgroup of the Lozi people.

Ethnologue lists Kwandi, Mbowe, Mbume, and possibly Kwangwa ("Kwanga") as dialects. Maho (2009) classifies these as distinct languages; it is not clear if any of them are part of the divergent Luyana branch of Bantu, or if they are Kavango languages.[2]

The writing system of the Luyana language was developed in 2011[4] and uses the Latin script.[4]

The language is taught in primary schools and secondary schools.[4]

Phonology

Vowels

Vowels[5]
FrontBack
Close iu
Mid eo
Open a

Luyana has five simple vowels: ⟨a⟩, ⟨e⟩, ⟨i⟩, ⟨o⟩, and ⟨u⟩. ⟨o⟩ is almost always open and is rarely closed. Wherever there may be hesitation between ⟨o⟩ and ⟨u⟩, ⟨u⟩ should be used.[6]

There are no diphthongs. When two vowels meet, they contract, or one is omitted.[6]

Consonants

The consonant inventory of Luyana is shown below.[5]

Bilabial Dental/Alveolar Post-alveolar Palatal Velar
Plosivevoiceless p t̪ k
voiced b d̪ ɡ
Affricate dz dʒ
Fricative s ʃ
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Approximant l j w

References

  1. 1 2 Luyana at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. 1 2 Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. ↑ Bantu Classification Archived 2012-06-24 at the Wayback Machine, Ehret, 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 https://www.ethnologue.com/language/lyn Luyana | Ethnologue
  5. 1 2 "Luyana sound inventory (PH)". Phoible. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  6. 1 2 Jacottet, E. (1896). "Grammaire Louyi". Etudes sur les langues du Haut-Zambeze (in French). pp. 81–87.

See also


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