Chiluvale
Luvale
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Chokwe-Luchazi / K.10 group)
Luvale (Chiluvale) is a Bantu K language spoken in the Angola-Zambia borderlands. The Luvale people are one of the seven recognized "Bantu of Zambia" official-language groups. The language has tone and Bantu noun-class agreement and is closely related to Lunda (lun) within the K14 group. Notable for the Likumbi Lya Mize cultural festival and the makishi masquerade tradition (UNESCO Intangible Heritage 2008).
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Luvale
Water
meya
/meja/
Fire
kakahya
/kakahja/
Sun
likumbi
/likumbi/
Moon
kakweji
/kakwedʒi/
Star
tanganyeka
/taŋɡaˈɲeka/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
tata
/tata/
I
ami
/ami/
You
ove
/ove/
Name
lijina
/liˈʒina/
Eye
liso
/liso/
Hand
livoko
/livoko/
Heart
mutima
/mutima/
Love
zangi
/zaŋɡi/
Tree
mutondo
/mutondo/
House
zuvo
/zuvo/
Dog
kawa
/kawa/
Cat
katako
/katako/
Eat
kulya
/kuʎa/
Drink
kunwa
/kunwa/
One
-mwe
/mwe/
Two
-vali
/vali/
Hello
mwane
/mwane/
Thank you
nasakwilila
/nasakwilila/
Good
-mwaza
/mwaza/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Chokwe-Luchazi / K.10 group) languages
| Meaning | Luvale | Lunda | Herero | Kuanyama | Kaonde | Umbundu | Ndonga |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | meya /meja/ | meji /medʒi/ | omeva /omeva/ | omeva /omeva/ | mema /mema/ | ovava /ovava/ | omeya /omeja/ |
| Fire | kakahya /kakahja/ | kesi /kesi/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | omundilo /omundilo/ | mujilo /mudʒilo/ | ondalu /ondalu/ | omulilo /omulilo/ |
| Sun | likumbi /likumbi/ | itaŋwa /itaŋwa/ | eyuva /ejuva/ | etango /etaŋɡo/ | juba /dʒuba/ | ekumbi /ekumbi/ | etango /etaŋɡo/ |
| Moon | kakweji /kakwedʒi/ | kakweji /kakwedʒi/ | omueze /omueze/ | omwedi /omwedi/ | ñondo /ɲondo/ | osãi /osãi/ | omwedhi /omweði/ |
| Star | tanganyeka /taŋɡaˈɲeka/ | katumbwa /katumbwa/ | onyose /oˈɲose/ | onyofi /oɲofi/ | lutanda /lutanda/ | onyeleñgele /oɲeleŋɡele/ | onyofi /oɲofi/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | meme /meme/ | bama /bama/ | inã /inã/ | meme /meme/ |
| Father | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | tate /tate/ | tate /tate/ | batata /batata/ | tate /tate/ | tate /tate/ |
| I | ami /ami/ | ami /ami/ | ami /ami/ | ame /ame/ | amiwa /amiwa/ | ame /ame/ | ame /ame/ |
| You | ove /ove/ | eyi /eji/ | ove /ove/ | ove /ove/ | obewa /obewa/ | ove /ove/ | ngoye /ŋoje/ |
| Name | lijina /liˈʒina/ | ijina /idʒina/ | ena /ena/ | edina /edina/ | jizhina /dʒiʒina/ | onduko /onduko/ | edhina /eðina/ |
| Eye | liso /liso/ | disu /disu/ | eho /eho/ | eho /eho/ | jiso /dʒiso/ | iso /iso/ | eho /eho/ |
| Hand | livoko /livoko/ | chikasa /tʃikasa/ | eke /eke/ | eke /eke/ | kuboko /kuboko/ | oluwoko /oluwoko/ | oshikaha /oʃikaha/ |
| Heart | mutima /mutima/ | muchima /mutʃima/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | muchima /mutʃima/ | utima /utima/ | omutima /omutima/ |
| Love | zangi /zaŋɡi/ | kukeŋa /kukeŋa/ | orusuvero /orusuvero/ | ohole /ohole/ | butemwe /butemwe/ | ocisola /otʃisola/ | ohole /ohole/ |
| Tree | mutondo /mutondo/ | mutondu /mutondu/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | kichi /kitʃi/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ |
| House | zuvo /zuvo/ | itala /itala/ | ondjuwo /ondʒuwo/ | eumbo /eumbo/ | nzubo /nzubo/ | onjo /ondʒo/ | egumbo /eɡumbo/ |
| Dog | kawa /kawa/ | kawa /kawa/ | ombwa /ombwa/ | ombwa /ombwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | ombwa /ombwa/ | ombwa /ombwa/ |
| Cat | katako /katako/ | — /—/ | okatjiru /okatʃiru/ | okatufi /okatufi/ | kapuso /kapuso/ | ocikangu /otʃikaŋɡu/ | okashima /okaʃima/ |
| Eat | kulya /kuʎa/ | kudya /kudja/ | kuriya /kurija/ | lya /ʎa/ | kuja /kudʒa/ | okulya /okulja/ | lya /ʎa/ |
| Drink | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | nwa /nwa/ | kutoma /kutoma/ | okunwa /okunwa/ | nwa /nwa/ |
| One | -mwe /mwe/ | wumu /wumu/ | -mwe /mwe/ | -mwe /mwe/ | umo /umo/ | imwe /imwe/ | -mwe /mwe/ |
| Two | -vali /vali/ | ayedi /ajedi/ | -vari /vari/ | vali /vali/ | bibili /bibili/ | vali /vali/ | vali /vali/ |
| Hello | mwane /mwane/ | mwani /mwani/ | wa penduka /wa penduka/ | wa hala po /wa hala po/ | mwapoñai /mwapoɲai/ | oloi /oloi/ | wa lalapo /wa lalapo/ |
| Thank you | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ | nasakalili /nasakalili/ | okuhepa /okuhepa/ | pandula /pandula/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ | twalipata /twalipata/ | tangi /taŋɡi/ |
| Good | -mwaza /mwaza/ | chachiwahi /tʃatʃiwahi/ | -wa /wa/ | -wa /wa/ | kyawama /kjawama/ | vyali /vjali/ | -nawa /nawa/ |
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