Lunda language explained

Lunda
Nativename:Chilunda
States:Zambia, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ethnicity:Lunda people
Speakers: in Zambia and Angola 800.000
Speakers2:1.1 milion in Congo
Date:2001–2023
Ref:e18
Familycolor:Niger-Congo
Fam2:Atlantic–Congo
Fam3:Volta-Congo
Fam4:Benue–Congo
Fam5:Bantoid
Fam6:Southern Bantoid
Fam7:Bantu (Zone L)
Fam8:Lunda languages (L.50)
Minority:Zambia
Script:Latin (Lunda alphabet)
Lunda Braille
Iso2:lun
Iso3:lun
Glotto:lund1266
Glottorefname:Lunda
Guthrie:L.52

Lunda, also known as Chilunda, is a Bantu language spoken in Zambia, Angola, and, to a lesser extent, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Lunda and its dialects are spoken and understood by perhaps 8.6% of Zambians (1986 estimate), and the language is used mainly in the Northwestern province of Zambia. The majority of the Lunda can be found in DRC, especially Katanga Province, as well as in Angola. A small number of Lunda dialects are represented in Namibia.

Phonology

Vowels

FrontCentralBack
Closepronounced as /ink/ pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/ pronounced as /ink/
Midpronounced as /ink/ pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/ pronounced as /ink/
Openpronounced as /ink/ pronounced as /ink/
Vowel length is contrastive.

Consonants

LabialAlveolarPalatalVelarGlottal
Nasalpronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
Plosive/
Affricate
voicelesspronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
voicedpronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
Fricativevoicelesspronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
voicedpronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
Approximantpronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/pronounced as /ink/
/w/ may also be heard as a bilabial glide pronounced as /link/.[1]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Kawasha, Boniface Kaumba . Lunda Grammar: A Morphosyntactic and Semantic Analysis . Eugene: University of Oregon . 2003.