Cilubà
Luba-Kasai
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu)
Luba-Kasai (Cilubà) is one of DRC's four national languages. Spoken in the Kasai region, it has tone, vowel length contrasts, and an extensive noun class system. It is closely related to neighboring Luba-Katanga.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Luba-Kasai
Water
mâyi
/maːji/
Fire
kapia
/kapia/
Sun
dîba
/diːba/
Moon
ngondo
/ŋɡondo/
Star
mutoto
/mutoto/
Mother
mâmu
/maːmu/
Father
tâtu
/taːtu/
I
meme
/meme/
You
wewe
/wewe/
Name
dîna
/diːna/
Eye
dîsu
/diːsu/
Hand
tshianza
/tʃianza/
Heart
mucima
/mutʃima/
Love
dinanga
/dinaŋɡa/
Tree
mutshi
/mutʃi/
House
nzubu
/nzubu/
Dog
mbwa
/mbwa/
Cat
nyao
/ɲao/
Eat
kudia
/kudia/
Drink
kunua
/kunua/
One
umue
/umue/
Two
bibidi
/bibidi/
Hello
moyo
/mojo/
Thank you
tuasakidila
/tuasakidila/
Good
bimpe
/bimpe/
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu) languages
| Meaning | Luba-Kasai | Kaonde | Lunda | Kirundi | Luganda | Kimbundu | Luvale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mâyi /maːji/ | mema /mema/ | meji /medʒi/ | amazi /amaːzi/ | amazzi /amaːzːi/ | menha /meɲa/ | meya /meja/ |
| Fire | kapia /kapia/ | mujilo /mudʒilo/ | kesi /kesi/ | umuriro /umuɾiɾo/ | omuliro /omuliɾo/ | tubia /tubja/ | kakahya /kakahja/ |
| Sun | dîba /diːba/ | juba /dʒuba/ | itaŋwa /itaŋwa/ | izuba /izuba/ | enjuba /eɲɟuba/ | muanya /mwaɲa/ | likumbi /likumbi/ |
| Moon | ngondo /ŋɡondo/ | ñondo /ɲondo/ | kakweji /kakwedʒi/ | ukwezi /ukwezi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | ngonde /ŋɡonde/ | kakweji /kakwedʒi/ |
| Star | mutoto /mutoto/ | lutanda /lutanda/ | katumbwa /katumbwa/ | inyenyeri /iɲeɲeri/ | emmunyeenye /emːuɲeːɲe/ | tetembwa /teˈtembwa/ | tanganyeka /taŋɡaˈɲeka/ |
| Mother | mâmu /maːmu/ | bama /bama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /maːma/ | maama /maːma/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | tâtu /taːtu/ | batata /batata/ | tata /tata/ | data /data/ | taata /taːta/ | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ |
| I | meme /meme/ | amiwa /amiwa/ | ami /ami/ | jewe /dʒewe/ | nze /nze/ | eme /eme/ | ami /ami/ |
| You | wewe /wewe/ | obewa /obewa/ | eyi /eji/ | wewe /wewe/ | ggwe /ɡːwe/ | eie /eje/ | ove /ove/ |
| Name | dîna /diːna/ | jizhina /dʒiʒina/ | ijina /idʒina/ | izina /izina/ | erinnya /eriɲːa/ | dijina /diˈʒina/ | lijina /liˈʒina/ |
| Eye | dîsu /diːsu/ | jiso /dʒiso/ | disu /disu/ | ijisho /idʒiʃo/ | eriiso /eɾiːso/ | dixi /diʃi/ | liso /liso/ |
| Hand | tshianza /tʃianza/ | kuboko /kuboko/ | chikasa /tʃikasa/ | ikiganza /ikiganza/ | omukono /omukono/ | lukwaku /lukwaku/ | livoko /livoko/ |
| Heart | mucima /mutʃima/ | muchima /mutʃima/ | muchima /mutʃima/ | umutima /umutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | muxima /muʃima/ | mutima /mutima/ |
| Love | dinanga /dinaŋɡa/ | butemwe /butemwe/ | kukeŋa /kukeŋa/ | urukundo /uɾukundo/ | okwagala /okwaːɡala/ | henda /henda/ | zangi /zaŋɡi/ |
| Tree | mutshi /mutʃi/ | kichi /kitʃi/ | mutondu /mutondu/ | igiti /iɡiti/ | omuti /omuti/ | mukune /mukune/ | mutondo /mutondo/ |
| House | nzubu /nzubu/ | nzubo /nzubo/ | itala /itala/ | inzu /inzu/ | ennyumba /eɲɲumba/ | inzo /inzo/ | zuvo /zuvo/ |
| Dog | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | kawa /kawa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | kawa /kawa/ |
| Cat | nyao /ɲao/ | kapuso /kapuso/ | — /—/ | akayabu /akajabu/ | kkapa /kːapa/ | kasalu /kasalu/ | katako /katako/ |
| Eat | kudia /kudia/ | kuja /kudʒa/ | kudya /kudja/ | kurya /kuɾja/ | kulya /kulja/ | kudya /kudja/ | kulya /kuʎa/ |
| Drink | kunua /kunua/ | kutoma /kutoma/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲʷa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ |
| One | umue /umue/ | umo /umo/ | wumu /wumu/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ | emu /emu/ | -moxi /moʃi/ | -mwe /mwe/ |
| Two | bibidi /bibidi/ | bibili /bibili/ | ayedi /ajedi/ | kabiri /kabiri/ | bbiri /bːiri/ | -iadi /jaːdi/ | -vali /vali/ |
| Hello | moyo /mojo/ | mwapoñai /mwapoɲai/ | mwani /mwani/ | amahoro /amahoɾo/ | oli otya /oli otja/ | kiebi /kiebi/ | mwane /mwane/ |
| Thank you | tuasakidila /tuasakidila/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ | nasakalili /nasakalili/ | murakoze /muɾakoze/ | webale /weːbale/ | kishukutu /kiʃukutu/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ |
| Good | bimpe /bimpe/ | kyawama /kjawama/ | chachiwahi /tʃatʃiwahi/ | nziza /nziza/ | kirungi /kiɾuŋɡi/ | kiá /kja/ | -mwaza /mwaza/ |
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