Luba-Katanga, also known as Luba-Shaba and ''Kiluba'' ( lu, Kiluba), is a
Bantu language
The Bantu languages (English: , Proto-Bantu: *bantʊ̀) are a large family of languages spoken by the Bantu people of Central, Southern, Eastern africa and Southeast Africa. They form the largest branch of the Southern Bantoid languages.
The t ...
(
Zone L) of
Central Africa
Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Co ...
. It is spoken mostly in the south-east area of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
by the
Luba people
The Luba people or Baluba are an 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, Kasai and Maniema. The Baluba Tribe ...
.
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. Some 500 years ago or more, the Luba Kasai left Katanga and settled in the
Kasai; since then, Luba Kasai (Chiluba) has evolved until it is no longer mutually intelligible with Luba Katanga.
Luba-Katanga alphabet
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.''
References
*
External links
''Ethnologue'' report on Luba-Katanga
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luba-Katanga language
Luban languages