Dholuo
Luo
Nilo-Saharan (Western Nilotic)
Luo (Dholuo) is the language of the Luo people around Lake Victoria, the fourth-largest Kenyan ethnic group (after Kikuyu, Luhya, and Kalenjin), with ~4M speakers in western Kenya (Nyanza) and northwestern Tanzania (Mara). Part of the Western Nilotic Nilo-Saharan family, related to Acholi, Lango, Alur, and the Luo of South Sudan (Anyuak, Shilluk). Has tone, vowel harmony based on ATR (advanced tongue root), and a four-way perfective/imperfective aspectual contrast unusual among Nilo-Saharan languages. Famous Luo speakers include US President Barack Obama (his father's family) and Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Luo
Water
pi
/pi/
Fire
mach
/matʃ/
Sun
chieng'
/tʃieŋ/
Moon
dwe
/dwe/
Star
sulwe
/sulwe/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
baba
/baba/
I
an
/an/
You
in
/in/
Name
nying
/ɲiŋ/
Eye
wang'
/waŋ/
Hand
lwedo
/lwedo/
Heart
chuny
/tʃuɲ/
Love
hera
/hera/
Tree
yath
/jaθ/
House
ot
/ot/
Dog
guok
/ɡuok/
Cat
paka
/paka/
Eat
chiemo
/tʃiemo/
Drink
madho
/maðo/
One
achiel
/atʃiel/
Two
ariyo
/arijo/
Hello
misawa
/misawa/
Thank you
erokamano
/erokamano/
Good
maber
/maber/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Nilo-Saharan (Western Nilotic) languages
| Meaning | Luo | Acholi | Lango | Anuak | Nuer | Maore Comorian | Makonde |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | pi /pi/ | pii /piː/ | pii /piː/ | pii /piː/ | pi /pi/ | maji /maji/ | mashi /maʃi/ |
| Fire | mach /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mäc /mɛtʃ/ | moto /moto/ | moto /moto/ |
| Sun | chieng' /tʃieŋ/ | ceng /tʃeŋ/ | ceŋ /tʃeŋ/ | ceeŋ /tʃeːŋ/ | caŋ /tʃaŋ/ | jua /dʒua/ | lyuva /ʎuβa/ |
| Moon | dwe /dwe/ | dwe /dwe/ | dwe /dwe/ | dwee /dweː/ | pay /paj/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | mwedi /mwedi/ |
| Star | sulwe /sulwe/ | lakalatwe /lakalatwe/ | lakalatwe /lakalatwe/ | lɛɛr /lɛːr/ | räl /ral/ | nyota /ɲota/ | ntondwa /ntondwa/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | mego /meɡo/ | mego /meɡo/ | min /min/ | maar /maːr/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | papo /papo/ | waad /waːd/ | gwaar /ɡwaːr/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ |
| I | an /an/ | an /an/ | an /an/ | än /an/ | ɣän /ɣan/ | wami /wami/ | une /une/ |
| You | in /in/ | in /in/ | yin /jin/ | in /in/ | jin /jin/ | wawe /wawe/ | uve /uve/ |
| Name | nying /ɲiŋ/ | nying /ɲiŋ/ | nying /ɲiŋ/ | nyiŋ /ɲiŋ/ | ciot /tɕɔːt/ | dzina /dzina/ | lina /lina/ |
| Eye | wang' /waŋ/ | wang /waŋ/ | waŋ /waŋ/ | waang /waːŋ/ | waŋ /waŋ/ | jicho /dʒiʃo/ | liso /liso/ |
| Hand | lwedo /lwedo/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | tet /tet/ | mkono /mkono/ | nkono /nkono/ |
| Heart | chuny /tʃuɲ/ | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | cuny /tʃuɲ/ | lëŋ /lɛŋ/ | moyo /moʝo/ | mtima /mtima/ |
| Love | hera /hera/ | mar /mar/ | amara /amara/ | mar /mar/ | nhok /nok/ | mahaba /mahaba/ | kupenda /kupenda/ |
| Tree | yath /jaθ/ | yat /jat/ | yat /jat/ | yat /jat/ | jïath /dʒiat̪/ | mti /mti/ | mti /mti/ |
| House | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | dööl /dɔːl/ | nyumba /njumba/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | guok /ɡuok/ | gwok /ɡʷok/ | gwok /ɡwok/ | guok /ɡuok/ | jiek /dʒiek/ | mbwa /ɱbwa/ | nshenye /nʃeɲe/ |
| Cat | paka /paka/ | ngabu /ŋabu/ | mbweko /mbweko/ | nyamur /ɲamur/ | gec /ɡetʃ/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ |
| Eat | chiemo /tʃiemo/ | cam /tʃam/ | camo /tʃamo/ | cam /tʃam/ | cam /tʃam/ | kula /kula/ | kulya /kuʎa/ |
| Drink | madho /maðo/ | mat /mat/ | matho /matʰo/ | maath /maːt̪/ | math /mat̪/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kukumbila /kukumbila/ |
| One | achiel /atʃiel/ | acel /atʃel/ | acel /atʃel/ | acel /atʃel/ | kɛl /kɛl/ | moja /moja/ | nimo /nimo/ |
| Two | ariyo /arijo/ | aryo /arjo/ | aryo /arjo/ | aryew /arjɛw/ | rew /rɛw/ | mbili /ᵐbili/ | vavili /vaʋili/ |
| Hello | misawa /misawa/ | itye nining /itje niniŋ/ | itye nining /itje niniŋ/ | mali /mali/ | malɛ /malɛ/ | Habari /habari/ | nakushukuru /nakuʃukuɾu/ |
| Thank you | erokamano /erokamano/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | lɛrnyä /lɛɾɲa/ | asante /asante/ | nashukuru /naʃukuɾu/ |
| Good | maber /maber/ | ber /ber/ | ber /ber/ | ber /ber/ | gɔaa /ɡɔaː/ | nzuri /ɲzuri/ | shibwana /ʃibwana/ |
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