Rukiga
Chiga
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, JE Runyakitara)
Chiga (Rukiga) is a Bantu JE-zone language of southwestern Uganda (Kigezi region: Kabale, Kanungu, Rukiga districts), with ~2.3M speakers. Part of the Runyakitara cluster (with Nyankole/Runyankole, Tooro/Rutoro, Nyoro/Runyoro), highly mutually intelligible with the other three; the four are sometimes treated as a single language (Runyakitara) for educational and broadcasting purposes. Standard Bantu noun-class system with extensive concord, high/low tones. The Bakiga people, traditionally agriculturalists in the Kigezi highlands, form a major Ugandan cultural and political community. Latin orthography developed by missionaries.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Chiga
Water
amaizi
/amaizi/
Fire
omuriro
/omuriro/
Sun
eizooba
/eizoːba/
Moon
omwezi
/omwezi/
Mother
nyina
/ɲina/
Father
ishe
/iʃe/
Eat
kurya
/kurja/
Drink
kunywa
/kuɲwa/
Love
kukunda
/kukunda/
Heart
omutima
/omutima/
Tree
omuti
/omuti/
House
enju
/endʒu/
Dog
embwa
/embwa/
Cat
kapa
/kapa/
Hand
omukono
/omukono/
Eye
eriisho
/eriːʃo/
Hello
oraire
/oraire/
Thank you
webare
/webare/
One
rumwe
/rumwe/
Good
kurungi
/kuruŋɡi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, JE Runyakitara) languages
| Meaning | Chiga | Tooro | Nyoro | Runyankole | Luganda | Soga | Kirundi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | amaizi /amaizi/ | amaizi /amaizi/ | amaizi /amaizi/ | amaizi /amaizi/ | amazzi /amaːzːi/ | amaaji /amaːdʒi/ | amazi /amaːzi/ |
| Fire | omuriro /omuriro/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | omuliro /omuliɾo/ | omuliro /omuliɾo/ | umuriro /umuɾiɾo/ |
| Sun | eizooba /eizoːba/ | eizooba /eizoːba/ | eizooba /eizoːba/ | izooba /izoːba/ | enjuba /eɲɟuba/ | enjuba /eɲɟuba/ | izuba /izuba/ |
| Moon | omwezi /omwezi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | ukwezi /ukwezi/ |
| Mother | nyina /ɲina/ | nyinya /ɲiɲa/ | nyinya /ɲiɲa/ | maawe /maːwe/ | maama /maːma/ | maama /maːma/ | mama /maːma/ |
| Father | ishe /iʃe/ | isho /iʃo/ | isho /iʃo/ | tata /tata/ | taata /taːta/ | taata /taːta/ | data /data/ |
| Eat | kurya /kurja/ | kulya /kulja/ | kulya /kulja/ | kurya /kurja/ | kulya /kulja/ | kulya /kulja/ | kurya /kuɾja/ |
| Drink | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲʷa/ | kunywa /kuɲʷa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ |
| Love | kukunda /kukunda/ | kugonza /kuɡonza/ | kugonza /kuɡonza/ | rukundo /rukundo/ | okwagala /okwaːɡala/ | kwagala /kwaɡala/ | urukundo /uɾukundo/ |
| Heart | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | umutima /umutima/ |
| Tree | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | igiti /iɡiti/ |
| House | enju /endʒu/ | enju /endʒu/ | enju /endʒu/ | enju /endʒu/ | ennyumba /eɲɲumba/ | enju /eɲɟu/ | inzu /inzu/ |
| Dog | embwa /embwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ |
| Cat | kapa /kapa/ | paaka /paːka/ | paaka /paːka/ | kapa /kapa/ | kkapa /kːapa/ | enkaaku /eŋkaːku/ | akayabu /akajabu/ |
| Hand | omukono /omukono/ | omukono /omukono/ | omukono /omukono/ | omukono /omukono/ | omukono /omukono/ | omukono /omukono/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ |
| Eye | eriisho /eriːʃo/ | eriiso /eriːso/ | eriiso /eriːso/ | eriiso /eriːso/ | eriiso /eɾiːso/ | eriiso /eɾiːso/ | ijisho /idʒiʃo/ |
| Hello | oraire /oraire/ | oraire ota /oraire ota/ | oraire ota /oraire ota/ | agandi /aɡandi/ | oli otya /oli otja/ | mwaakire /mwaːkiɾe/ | amahoro /amahoɾo/ |
| Thank you | webare /webare/ | webale /webale/ | webale /webale/ | webare /webare/ | webale /weːbale/ | weebale /weːbale/ | murakoze /muɾakoze/ |
| One | rumwe /rumwe/ | emoi /emoi/ | emoi /emoi/ | emwe /emwe/ | emu /emu/ | ndala /ndala/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ |
| Good | kurungi /kuruŋɡi/ | kurungi /kuruŋɡi/ | kurungi /kuruŋɡi/ | kirungi /kiruŋɡi/ | kirungi /tʃiɾuŋɡi/ | bulungi /buluŋɡi/ | nziza /nziza/ |
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