Runyankore
Runyankole
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, JE Runyakitara)
Runyankole-Rukiga (or Runyankore) is a Bantu language of southwestern Uganda, with ~3M speakers. Part of the Runyakitara cluster (alongside Rutoro/Tooro, Runyoro/Nyoro, and Rukiga/Chiga), with high mutual intelligibility within the cluster. The combined literary form Runyankole-Rukiga is taught in schools, but Runyankole and Rukiga are sometimes treated as separate languages. Closely associated with the historical Ankole kingdom (one of Uganda's traditional kingdoms, restored 1993). Bantu noun-class system with extensive concord. Standard Bantu phonology with high/low tones.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Runyankole
Water
amaizi
/amaizi/
Fire
omuriro
/omuriro/
Sun
izooba
/izoːba/
Moon
omwezi
/omwezi/
Star
enyonyoozi
/eɲoɲoːzi/
Mother
maawe
/maːwe/
Father
tata
/tata/
I
nyowe
/ɲowe/
You
iwe
/iwe/
Name
eiziina
/eiziːna/
Eye
eriiso
/eriːso/
Hand
omukono
/omukono/
Heart
omutima
/omutima/
Love
rukundo
/rukundo/
Tree
omuti
/omuti/
House
enju
/endʒu/
Dog
embwa
/embwa/
Cat
kapa
/kapa/
Eat
kurya
/kurja/
Drink
kunywa
/kuɲwa/
One
emwe
/emwe/
Two
ibiri
/iβiri/
Hello
agandi
/aɡandi/
Thank you
webare
/webare/
Good
kirungi
/kiruŋɡi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, JE Runyakitara) languages
| Meaning | Runyankole | Chiga | 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 | izooba /izoːba/ | eizooba /eizoːba/ | 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 | maawe /maːwe/ | nyina /ɲina/ | nyinya /ɲiɲa/ | nyinya /ɲiɲa/ | maama /maːma/ | maama /maːma/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | tata /tata/ | ishe /iʃe/ | 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 | eriiso /eriːso/ | eriisho /eriːʃo/ | 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 | rukundo /rukundo/ | kukunda /kukunda/ | 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 | emwe /emwe/ | rumwe /rumwe/ | 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 | agandi /aɡandi/ | oraire /oraire/ | 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 | kirungi /kiruŋɡi/ | kurungi /kuruŋɡi/ | kurungi /kuruŋɡi/ | kurungi /kuruŋɡi/ | kirungi /kiɾuŋɡi/ | bulungi /buluŋɡi/ | kihi /kihi/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.