Nkore (also called Nkole, Nyankore, Nyankole, Orunyankore, Orunyankole, Runyankore and Runyankole) is a
Bantu
Bantu may refer to:
*Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages
*Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language
* Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle
*Black Association for National ...
language spoken by the
Nkore
Ankole (Runyankore: ''Nkore''), was a traditional Bantu kingdom in Uganda and lasted from the 15th century until 1967. The kingdom was located in south-western Uganda, east of Lake Edward.
History
Ankole Kingdom is located in the South-Wester ...
("Banyankore") of south-western
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
in the former province of
Ankole
Ankole (Nkore language, Runyankore: ''Nkore''), was a traditional Bantu peoples, Bantu kingdom in Uganda and lasted from the 15th century until 1967. The kingdom was located in south-western Uganda, east of Lake Edward.
History
Ankole Realm, K ...
, as well as in
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
, the
DR 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 ...
,
Rwanda
Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
and
Burundi
Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili language, Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French language, French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the ...
.
Runyankole is mainly spoken in the
Mbarara
Mbarara City is a city in the Western Region of Uganda and the second largest city in Uganda after Kampala. The city is divided into 6 boroughs of Kakoba Division, Kamukuzi Division, Nyamitanga Division, Biharwe Division, Kakiika Division, Nyakay ...
,
Bushenyi
Bushenyi is a town in Western Uganda. It is the 'chief town' of Bushenyi District and the district headquarters are located there. The district is named after the town, in keeping with the practice in most of the districts in the country.
Locat ...
,
Ntungamo
Ntungamo is a town in the Western Region of Uganda. It is the largest town in Ntungamo District and the site of the district headquarters.
Location
Ntungamo is about , by road, southwest of the city of Mbarara, the largest city in Uganda's West ...
,
Kiruhura,
Ibanda
Ibanda is a town in the Western Region of Uganda. It is the main political, administrative, and commercial centre of Ibanda District and the site of the district headquarters. It started wayback in 1990s and was elevated from a trading centre ...
,
Isingiro
Isingiro is a town in the Western Region of Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial center of Isingiro District and the site of the district's headquarters.
Location
Isingiro is approximately , by road, southeast of ...
,
Rukungiri
Rukungiri is a town in Rukungiri District of the Western Region of Uganda. It is the site of the district headquarters.
Location
Rukungiri is approximately , by road, north of Kabale, the largest city in the Kigezi sub-region. This is about , ...
and parts of Kitagwenda districts.
There is a brief description and teaching guide for this language, written by
Charles V. Taylor in the 1950s, and an adequate dictionary in print. Whilst this language is spoken by almost all the Ugandans in the region, most also speak English, especially in the towns. (English is one of Uganda's two official languages, and the language taught in schools.)
Nkore is so similar to Kiga (84–94 percent lexical similarity
) that some argue they are
dialects
The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of linguistic phenomena:
One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a ...
of the same language, a language called
Nkore-Kiga
Nkore-Kiga is a language spoken by around 5,800,000 people living in the
extreme southwest of Uganda. It is often defined as two separate languages: Nkore and Kiga.
It is closely related to Runyoro-Rutooro.
History
Archibald Norman Tucker wa ...
by Taylor.
Phonology
Runyankore has a five-vowel system:
* Sounds /i, u/ can be heard as
, ʊwhen short or lax.
Orthography
* a -
* b -
* c -
͡ʃ* d -
* e -
* f -
* g -
/d͡ʒ* h -
* i -
* k -
/t͡ʃ* m -
* n -
* o -
* p -
* r -
* s -
* t -
* u -
* v -
* w -
* y -
* z -
* ai -
i̯* ei -
i̯* gy -
ʲ* ky -
ʲ* mp -
p* mw -
w* nd -
d* ng -
* ny -
* oi -
i̯* sh -
* ts -
͡s* zh -
D and P are only used in the digraphs ''ND'' and ''MP'' and in loanwords.
G and K are
͡ʒand
͡ʃbefore I,
and
elsewhere.
Basic greetings
The greeting ''Agandi'', implying, "How are you?" but literally meaning "other news!", can be replied with ''Ni marungi'', which literally means "good news!".
The proper greetings are ''Oraire ota?'' or ''Osiibire ota?'', literally translated "How was your night?" and "How was your day?". "Good night" is ''Oraare gye'' and "Good day" is ''Osiibe gye''.
Here are a few names one might use in a greeting:
*Madam – ''Nyabo''
*Sir – ''Sebo''
*Child – ''omwana''
*Boy – ''omwojo''
*Girl – ''omwishiki''
Food
*Matooke or Bananas - ''Ebitookye''
*Maize Meal or corn bread – ''Obuhunga''
*Beans – ''Ebihimba''
*Meat – ''Enyama''
*Millet Bread – ''Oburo''
Other words and phrases
*No: Ngaaha (ing-gah-ha) or Apaana (ah-pah-nah)
*Yes: Yego (yegg-oh)
*Thank you: Yebare (Ye-ba-re)
*Thank you very much: Yebare munonga (Ye-ba-re mu-non-ga)
*You're welcome (literally: Thank you for appreciating): Yebare kusiima (ye-ba-re koo-see-mah)
*I like/love you: Ninkukunda (nin-koo-coon-dah) or ninkukunda munonga (nin-koo-coon-dah moo-non-gah)
*My name is ____: Eizina ryangye niinye ______ (ey-zeen-ah riya-gye ni-inye___) or ndi _____ (in-dee ______)
*I am from _____: Ninduga_____ (nin-doog-ah_____)
*It's how much shillings/money? Ni shiringi zingahi? (Knee shi-rin-gee zin-gah-hee) or ni sente zingahi?
*Good morning. How are you?
Oraire ota (orei-rota) Replies: I'm fine Ndaire gye (ndei-re-jeh) or Ndyaho (indi-aho)
*Good morning. Did you sleep well?
Oraire gye? (orei-reh-jeh)
Reply: Yes, yourself?
Yego, shan’iwe
*Good afternoon. How are you spending your day?
Osiibire ota (o-see-bee-rota) Replies: Nsiibire gye (insi-bi-reje)
*You are spending your day well?
Osiibire gye (Osi birejge) Replies: Yes- Yego (yegg-oh) or nsiibire gye
*Good afternoon. How has your day been?
Waasiiba ota (wasib-wota) Reply: Fine, good, I've spent it well – Naasiiba gye (nasi-baje)
*Good night: oraregye
[Standard English–Runyankore/Rukiga Dictionary – Mwene Mushanga, Ph.D. Banyankore Cultural Foundation, Mbarara, Uganda, 2004 English to Runyankole Easy Reading Handbook, Vincent Busulwa, 2000 Staff of Bishop Stuart Core Primary Teachers' College, Mbarara, Uganda]
See also
*
Runyakitara language
Runyakitara is a standardized language based on four closely related languages of western Uganda:
* Nyoro or ''Runyoro''
* Kiga (Chiga) or ''Rukiga''
* Nkore or ''Runyankole''
* Tooro or ''Rutooro''
Jouni Filip Maho's 2009 New Updated Guthrie ...
References
{{Authority control
a banyankore are bantu speaking group of people from South western Uganda and they speak Runyankore with (ntu) (aba) like akantu, ekintu, omuntu, abantu. Akantu means thing in prural, ekintu means something big, omuntu means a person, abantu means people same as in Zulu language of South Africa
Languages of Uganda
Nyoro-Ganda languages