Oluluhia
Luhya
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu)
Luhya (Luyia) is a cluster of Bantu varieties of western Kenya, sometimes treated as a single language and sometimes as 16 or more. The varieties show considerable internal diversity, with the standardized literary form based on a mixture.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Luhya
Water
amatsi
/amatsi/
Fire
omuliro
/omuliro/
Sun
liuba
/liuba/
Moon
omwesi
/omwesi/
Star
eng'ining'ini
/eŋiniŋini/
Mother
mayi
/maji/
Father
papa
/papa/
I
ese
/ese/
You
ewe
/ewe/
Name
elira
/elira/
Eye
liiso
/liːso/
Hand
omukhono
/omukʰono/
Heart
omwoyo
/omwojo/
Love
obuyanzi
/obujanzi/
Tree
omusala
/omusala/
House
enzu
/enzu/
Dog
imbwa
/imbwa/
Cat
lipusi
/lipusi/
Eat
khulia
/kʰulia/
Drink
khunywa
/kʰuɲwa/
One
ndala
/ndala/
Two
tsibili
/tsiβili/
Hello
mulembe
/mulembe/
Thank you
orio
/orio/
Good
malayi
/malaji/
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu) languages
| Meaning | Luhya | Bukusu | Masaaba | Runyankole | Soga | Tooro | Nyoro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | amatsi /amatsi/ | kamatsi /kamatsi/ | kamaatsi /kamaːtsi/ | amaizi /amaizi/ | amaaji /amaːdʒi/ | amaizi /amaizi/ | amaizi /amaizi/ |
| Fire | omuliro /omuliro/ | kamulilo /kamulilo/ | kamulilo /kamulilo/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | omuliro /omuliɾo/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | omuriro /omuriro/ |
| Sun | liuba /liuba/ | liuba /liuba/ | suuba /suːba/ | izooba /izoːba/ | enjuba /eɲɟuba/ | eizooba /eizoːba/ | eizooba /eizoːba/ |
| Moon | omwesi /omwesi/ | kumwesi /kumwesi/ | umweesi /umweːsi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ |
| Star | eng'ining'ini /eŋiniŋini/ | kumunyeenye /kumuɲeːɲe/ | kumunyeenye /kumuɲeːɲe/ | enyonyoozi /eɲoɲoːzi/ | emunyeenye /emuɲeːɲe/ | enyunyunzi /eɲuɲuːnzi/ | enyunyuunzi /eɲuɲuːnzi/ |
| Mother | mayi /maji/ | mayi /maji/ | mayi /maji/ | maawe /maːwe/ | maama /maːma/ | nyinya /ɲiɲa/ | nyinya /ɲiɲa/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | tata /tata/ | taata /taːta/ | isho /iʃo/ | isho /iʃo/ |
| I | ese /ese/ | ese /ese/ | ise /ise/ | nyowe /ɲowe/ | nze /nze/ | nyowe /ɲowe/ | nyowe /ɲowe/ |
| You | ewe /ewe/ | ewe /ewe/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | gwe /ɡwe/ | iwe /iwe/ | iwe /iwe/ |
| Name | elira /elira/ | lisina /lisiːna/ | lisiina /lisiːna/ | eiziina /eiziːna/ | erinnya /erinɲa/ | ibara /iβara/ | ibara /iβara/ |
| Eye | liiso /liːso/ | liiso /liːso/ | liiso /liːso/ | eriiso /eriːso/ | eriiso /eɾiːso/ | eriiso /eriːso/ | eriiso /eriːso/ |
| Hand | omukhono /omukʰono/ | kumukhono /kumukʰono/ | kumukhono /kumukʰono/ | omukono /omukono/ | omukono /omukono/ | omukono /omukono/ | omukono /omukono/ |
| Heart | omwoyo /omwojo/ | kumwoyo /kumwojo/ | umwoyo /umwojo/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ |
| Love | obuyanzi /obujanzi/ | busiani /busiani/ | khusima /kʰusima/ | rukundo /rukundo/ | kwagala /kwaɡala/ | kugonza /kuɡonza/ | kugonza /kuɡonza/ |
| Tree | omusala /omusala/ | kumusaala /kumusaːla/ | kumusaala /kumusaːla/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ |
| House | enzu /enzu/ | enju /endʒu/ | nzu /nzu/ | enju /endʒu/ | enju /eɲɟu/ | enju /endʒu/ | enju /endʒu/ |
| Dog | imbwa /imbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | embwa /embwa/ |
| Cat | lipusi /lipusi/ | enyawu /eɲawu/ | paka /paka/ | kapa /kapa/ | enkaaku /eŋkaːku/ | paaka /paːka/ | paaka /paːka/ |
| Eat | khulia /kʰulia/ | khulya /kʰuʎa/ | khulya /kʰuʎa/ | kurya /kurja/ | kulya /kulja/ | kulya /kulja/ | kulya /kulja/ |
| Drink | khunywa /kʰuɲwa/ | khunywa /kʰuɲwa/ | khunywa /kʰuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲʷa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ |
| One | ndala /ndala/ | ndala /ndala/ | mulala /mulala/ | emwe /emwe/ | ndala /ndala/ | emoi /emoi/ | emoi /emoi/ |
| Two | tsibili /tsiβili/ | babili /βaβili/ | babili /βaβili/ | ibiri /iβiri/ | bbiri /biri/ | ibiri /iβiri/ | ibiri /iβiri/ |
| Hello | mulembe /mulembe/ | mulembe /mulembe/ | mulembe /mulembe/ | agandi /aɡandi/ | mwaakire /mwaːkiɾe/ | oraire ota /oraire ota/ | oraire ota /oraire ota/ |
| Thank you | orio /orio/ | orio /orio/ | ole nise /ole nise/ | webare /webare/ | weebale /weːbale/ | webale /webale/ | webale /webale/ |
| Good | malayi /malaji/ | kalayi /kalaji/ | kalayi /kalaji/ | kirungi /kiruŋɡi/ | bulungi /buluŋɡi/ | kurungi /kuruŋɡi/ | kurungi /kuruŋɡi/ |
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