Kuria language explained

Kuria
Nativename:Igikuria
States:Kenya, Tanzania[1]
Ethnicity:Kuria people
Speakers:690,000
Date:2005–2009
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:Logooli–Kuria (E.40)
Dia1:Kuria proper
Dia2:Simbiti
Dia3:Hacha
Dia4:Surwa
Dia5:Sweta
Script:Latin, Arabic
Iso3:kuj
Glotto:kuri1259
Glottorefname:Kuria
Guthrie:JE.43,431–434

Kuria is a Bantu language spoken by the Kuria people of Northern Tanzania, with some speakers also residing in Kenya.

Maho (2009) treats the Simbiti, Hacha, Surwa, and Sweta varieties as distinct languages.

Alphabet

Kuria alphabet (Kenya)[2] [3] [4]
UppercaseA B Ch E Ë G H I K M N Nd Ny Ng' O Ö R Rr S T U W Y
Lowercasea b ch e ë g h i k m n nd ny ng' o ö r rr s t u w y
IPA Symbola β t͡ʃ e ɛ ɣ h i k m n n͡d ɲ ŋ o ɔ ɾ r s t u w j

Phonology

Consonants

Kuria consonant phonemes
BilabialAlveolarPalatalVelarGlottal
Stoppronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Fricativepronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Nasalpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Trillpronounced as /link/
Flappronounced as /link/
Glidepronounced as /link/
Prenasalized Stopspronounced as /m͡b/pronounced as /n͡d/pronounced as /ŋ͡g/
Affricatespronounced as /t͡ʃ/

Vowels

! colspan="3"
Advanced Tongue Root (+ATR)-ATR
FrontCentralBackFrontCentralBack
Closepronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Close-Midpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Open-Midpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Openpronounced as /a/

All vowels contrast length, and can be either short or long.

Bibliography

References

  1. http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=kuj Ethnologue entry for Kuria
  2. Rhonda L. Hartell, ed. 1993. The Alphabets of Africa. Dakar: UNESCO and Summer Institute of Linguistics
  3. Nyauma. Shem. 2014. A Phonological Reconstruction Of Ekegusii And Egekuria Nouns: A Comparative Analysis. Masters Thesis, University of Nairobi.
  4. Book: Alphabets of Africa. UNESCO Regional Office in Dakar (BREDA). 1993. Hartell. Rhonda. 186. ((92-9091-020-3)).