Luba-Katanga, also known as Luba-Shaba and ''Kiluba'' (), is a
Bantu language
The Bantu languages (English: , Proto-Bantu language, Proto-Bantu: *bantʊ̀), or Ntu languages are a language family of about 600 languages of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern, East Africa, Eastern and Southeast Africa, South ...
(
Zone L) of
Central Africa
Central Africa (French language, French: ''Afrique centrale''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''África central''; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''África Central'') is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries accordin ...
. It is spoken mostly in the south-east area of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
by the
Luba people
The Luba people or Baluba are a Bantu ethno-linguistic group indigenous to the south-central region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The majority of them live in this country, residing mainly in Katanga Province, Katanga, Kasai Province, ...
.
Kiluba is spoken in the area around
Kabongo,
Kamina
Kamina is the capital city of Haut-Lomami Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Transport
Kamina is known as an important railway node; three lines of the DRC railways run from Kamina toward the north, west, and south-east. The m ...
, Luena,
Lubudi,
Malemba Nkulu, Mulongo, Kabalo and
Kaniama, mostly in
Katanga. Kiluba is not and has never been mutually intelligible with Tshiluba. From linguistic analysis it can also be seen that neither was derived from the other due to linguistic and tonal compositions. The two groups of people have distinct historical origins according to their oral traditions and history.
Just like the vast majority of bantu languages, they both distinctly have bantu dialects to which they are closely related to and share historical ties with.
Writing
Luba-Katanga has 22 letters, 5 vowels and 17 consonants.
Vowels: A E I O U
Consonants: B D F G H J K L M N P S T V W Y Z
Phonology
Vowels
A five vowel system with vowel length is present in Luba-Katanga:
Consonants
* /p, b/ can have the allophones
, βwhen in intervocalic positions or before a semivowel.
Sample text
Sample text in Luba-Katanga- ''Pādi palembwe amba mwingidi wa “Tattannu, muledi wa Bukila bwa Munonga” —ko kunena’mba i enka Tatenai utelelwe ne mu mukanda wa mu Bible wa Ezela.''
Translation
It identifies a witness to the transaction as a servant of “Tattannu, governor of Across-the-River” —the same Tattenai who appears in the Bible book of Ezra.
''(Translation from
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...
)''
References
*
External links
''Ethnologue'' report on Luba-Katanga
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luba-Katanga language
Luban languages