Kiga (also called ''Rukiga'', ''Ruchiga'', or ''Chiga'') is a
Great Lakes Bantu language of the
Kiga people
Kiga people, or ''Abakiga'' ("people of the mountains"), are a Bantu ethnic group native to south western Uganda and northern Rwanda.
History Origins
The Kiga people are believed to have their origins in Rwanda. This is mentioned in one of th ...
(''Bakiga''). Kiga is a similar and partially mutually intelligible with the
Nkore language. It was first written in the second half of the 19th century.
Kiga is largely spoken in the ancient Kigezi region which includes about 5 districts, namely
Rubanda,
Rukiga,
Kabale
Kabale City is a city in the Western Region of Uganda. It is the main city of Kabale District, and the district headquarters are located at Makanga hills.
It is sometimes nicknamed "Kastone" as in the local Rukiga language, a "kabale" is a sma ...
,
Kanungu and some parts of
Rukungiri
Rukungiri is a town in Rukungiri District of the Western Region of Uganda. It is the site of the district headquarters.
Geography
Rukungiri is approximately north of Kabale, the largest city in the Kigezi sub-region. It is about , southwest o ...
.
As of 2021, Kiga is spoken natively by about 1.3 million people in Uganda.
Kiga is so similar to Nkore (84%–94% lexical similarity
) that some argue they are
dialects
A dialect is a variety of language spoken by a particular group of people. This may include dominant and standardized varieties as well as vernacular, unwritten, or non-standardized varieties, such as those used in developing countries or iso ...
of the same language, called
Nkore-Kiga by
Charles Taylor.
Phonology
* Sounds /i, u/ can also range to
�, ʊwhen short or lax.
* /a/ can range from a central
�to a back
�sound.
* /r/ can also be heard as a glide
�in free variation.
* /b/ can be heard as
�in intervocalic positions.
Orthography
* a -
* b -
* ch/c -
͡ʃ* d -
* e -
�* f -
* g -
/gʲ* h -
* i -
* j -
͡ʒ* k -
/kʲ* m -
* n -
* ny -
�* o -
�* p -
* r -
* s -
* t -
* ts -
͡s* u -
* v -
* w -
* y -
* z -
D and P are only used in foreign names and loanwords.
G and K are palatalised before I.
* ai -
i̯* ei -
�i̯* gy -
�* ky -
* mp -
��p* mw -
��w* nd -
��d* ng -
�* oi -
�i̯* sh -
�ref>
Grammar
In common with other
Bantu languages, Kiga has a noun class system in which prefixes on nouns mark membership of one of the noun genders. Pronouns, adjectives, and verbs reflect the noun gender of the nominal they refer to. Some examples of noun classes:
* mu – person (singular), e.g. ''omukiga'' = inhabitant of
Kigezi land
* ru – language, e.g. ''Rukiga'' = language of the Kiga
* ba – people, e.g. ''Bakiga'' = The Kiga people
* ki – customs or traditions, e.g. ''kikiga'', (sometimes spelled ''Kichiga''), describes religious tradition common to the Kiga people. Sometimes the people are called 'Chiga' by people misunderstanding the linguistic rules in relation to the prefixes.
The sound is not distinctive in Rukiga. The letter "r" is used instead.
See also
*
Runyakitara language
*
Nkore-Kiga
References
Languages of Uganda
Nyoro-Ganda languages
{{Bantu-lang-stub