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
31 core words in Chiga
Water
amaizi
/amaizi/
Fire
omuriro
/omuriro/
Sun
eizooba
/eizoːba/
Moon
omwezi
/omwezi/
Star
enyonyoozi
/eɲoɲoːzi/
Mother
nyina
/ɲina/
Father
ishe
/iʃe/
I
nyowe
/ɲowe/
You
iwe
/iwe/
Name
eiziina
/eiziːna/
Eye
eriisho
/eriːʃo/
Hand
omukono
/omukono/
Heart
omutima
/omutima/
Love
kukunda
/kukunda/
Tree
omuti
/omuti/
House
enju
/endʒu/
Dog
embwa
/embwa/
Cat
kapa
/kapa/
Eat
kurya
/kurja/
Drink
kunywa
/kuɲwa/
One
rumwe
/rumwe/
Two
ibiri
/iβiri/
Hello
oraire
/oraire/
Thank you
webare
/webare/
Good
kurungi
/kuruŋɡi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, JE Runyakitara) languages
| Meaning | Chiga | Runyankole | Tooro | Nyoro | Luganda | Soga | Nyaturu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | amaizi /amaizi/ | amaizi /amaizi/ | amaizi /amaizi/ | amaizi /amaizi/ | amazzi /amaːzːi/ | amaaji /amaːdʒi/ | maazi /maːzi/ |
| Fire | omuriro /omuriro/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | omuliro /omuliɾo/ | omuliro /omuliɾo/ | moto /moto/ |
| Sun | eizooba /eizoːba/ | izooba /izoːba/ | eizooba /eizoːba/ | eizooba /eizoːba/ | enjuba /eɲɟuba/ | enjuba /eɲɟuba/ | nzua /nzua/ |
| Moon | omwezi /omwezi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | umweri /umweɾi/ |
| Star | enyonyoozi /eɲoɲoːzi/ | enyonyoozi /eɲoɲoːzi/ | enyunyunzi /eɲuɲuːnzi/ | enyunyuunzi /eɲuɲuːnzi/ | emmunyeenye /emːuɲeːɲe/ | emunyeenye /emuɲeːɲe/ | nyeenyeeri /ɲeːɲeːri/ |
| Mother | nyina /ɲina/ | maawe /maːwe/ | nyinya /ɲiɲa/ | nyinya /ɲiɲa/ | maama /maːma/ | maama /maːma/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | ishe /iʃe/ | tata /tata/ | isho /iʃo/ | isho /iʃo/ | taata /taːta/ | taata /taːta/ | tata /tata/ |
| I | nyowe /ɲowe/ | nyowe /ɲowe/ | nyowe /ɲowe/ | nyowe /ɲowe/ | nze /nze/ | nze /nze/ | une /une/ |
| You | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | ggwe /ɡːwe/ | gwe /ɡwe/ | uwe /uwe/ |
| Name | eiziina /eiziːna/ | eiziina /eiziːna/ | ibara /iβara/ | ibara /iβara/ | erinnya /eriɲːa/ | erinnya /erinɲa/ | izina /izina/ |
| Eye | eriisho /eriːʃo/ | eriiso /eriːso/ | eriiso /eriːso/ | eriiso /eriːso/ | eriiso /eɾiːso/ | eriiso /eɾiːso/ | iriiso /iɾiːso/ |
| Hand | omukono /omukono/ | omukono /omukono/ | omukono /omukono/ | omukono /omukono/ | omukono /omukono/ | omukono /omukono/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ |
| Heart | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | umutima /umutima/ |
| Love | kukunda /kukunda/ | rukundo /rukundo/ | kugonza /kuɡonza/ | kugonza /kuɡonza/ | okwagala /okwaːɡala/ | kwagala /kwaɡala/ | butogwa /butoɡwa/ |
| Tree | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | umuti /umuti/ |
| House | enju /endʒu/ | enju /endʒu/ | enju /endʒu/ | enju /endʒu/ | ennyumba /eɲɲumba/ | enju /eɲɟu/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | embwa /embwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ |
| Cat | kapa /kapa/ | kapa /kapa/ | paaka /paːka/ | paaka /paːka/ | kkapa /kːapa/ | enkaaku /eŋkaːku/ | paka /paka/ |
| Eat | kurya /kurja/ | kurya /kurja/ | kulya /kulja/ | kulya /kulja/ | kulya /kulja/ | kulya /kulja/ | kuria /kuɾia/ |
| Drink | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲʷa/ | kunywa /kuɲʷa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ |
| One | rumwe /rumwe/ | emwe /emwe/ | emoi /emoi/ | emoi /emoi/ | emu /emu/ | ndala /ndala/ | umwe /umwe/ |
| Two | ibiri /iβiri/ | ibiri /iβiri/ | ibiri /iβiri/ | ibiri /iβiri/ | bbiri /bːiri/ | bbiri /biri/ | aviri /aβiri/ |
| Hello | oraire /oraire/ | agandi /aɡandi/ | oraire ota /oraire ota/ | oraire ota /oraire ota/ | oli otya /oli otja/ | mwaakire /mwaːkiɾe/ | mbukire /mbukiɾe/ |
| Thank you | webare /webare/ | webare /webare/ | webale /webale/ | webale /webale/ | webale /weːbale/ | weebale /weːbale/ | asante /aˈsante/ |
| Good | kurungi /kuruŋɡi/ | kirungi /kiruŋɡi/ | kurungi /kuruŋɡi/ | kurungi /kuruŋɡi/ | kirungi /kiɾuŋɡi/ | bulungi /buluŋɡi/ | kihi /kihi/ |
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