Ikirundi
Kirundi
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Great Lakes)
Kirundi (Ikirundi) is the Bantu Great Lakes language of Burundi, sister to Rwanda's Kinyarwanda within the Rwanda-Rundi cluster (mutually intelligible). It is one of the very few African languages whose territory aligns precisely with a nation-state's borders, giving Burundi exceptional linguistic homogeneity. Like Kinyarwanda, it has a complex tone+pitch system and Bantu noun-class agreement.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Kirundi
Water
amazi
/amaːzi/
Fire
umuriro
/umuɾiɾo/
Sun
izuba
/izuba/
Moon
ukwezi
/ukwezi/
Mother
mama
/maːma/
Father
data
/data/
Eat
kurya
/kuɾja/
Drink
kunywa
/kuɲwa/
Love
urukundo
/uɾukundo/
Heart
umutima
/umutima/
Tree
igiti
/iɡiti/
House
inzu
/inzu/
Dog
imbwa
/imbwa/
Cat
akayabu
/akajabu/
Hand
ukuboko
/ukuboko/
Eye
ijisho
/idʒiʃo/
Hello
amahoro
/amahoɾo/
Thank you
murakoze
/muɾakoze/
One
rimwe
/ɾimwe/
Good
nziza
/nziza/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Great Lakes) languages
| Meaning | Kirundi | Kinyarwanda | Nyaturu | Runyankole | Sangu | Chiga | Luganda |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | amazi /amaːzi/ | amazi /amaːzi/ | maazi /maːzi/ | amaizi /amaizi/ | ameenzi /ameːnzi/ | amaizi /amaizi/ | amazzi /amaːzːi/ |
| Fire | umuriro /umuɾiɾo/ | umuriro /umuɾiɾo/ | moto /moto/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | umoto /umoto/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | omuliro /omuliɾo/ |
| Sun | izuba /izuba/ | izuba /izuba/ | nzua /nzua/ | izooba /izoːba/ | liluga /liluɡa/ | eizooba /eizoːba/ | enjuba /eɲɟuba/ |
| Moon | ukwezi /ukwezi/ | ukwezi /ukwezi/ | umweri /umweɾi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | umwesi /umwesi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ |
| Mother | mama /maːma/ | mama /maːma/ | mama /mama/ | maawe /maːwe/ | mama /mama/ | nyina /ɲina/ | maama /maːma/ |
| Father | data /data/ | papa /paːpa/ | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | baba /baba/ | ishe /iʃe/ | taata /taːta/ |
| Eat | kurya /kuɾja/ | kurya /kuɾja/ | kuria /kuɾia/ | kurya /kurja/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | kurya /kurja/ | kulya /kulja/ |
| Drink | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲʷa/ |
| Love | urukundo /uɾukundo/ | urukundo /uɾukundo/ | butogwa /butoɡwa/ | rukundo /rukundo/ | ulungu /uluŋɡu/ | kukunda /kukunda/ | okwagala /okwaːɡala/ |
| Heart | umutima /umutima/ | umutima /umutima/ | umutima /umutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | umutima /umutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ |
| Tree | igiti /iɡiti/ | igiti /iɡiti/ | umuti /umuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | umuti /umuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ |
| House | inzu /inzu/ | inzu /inzu/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | enju /endʒu/ | inyumba /iɲumba/ | enju /endʒu/ | ennyumba /eɲɲumba/ |
| Dog | imbwa /imbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | embwa /embwa/ |
| Cat | akayabu /akajabu/ | injangwe /indʒaŋɡwe/ | paka /paka/ | kapa /kapa/ | paka /paka/ | kapa /kapa/ | kkapa /kːapa/ |
| Hand | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | ikiganza /ikiɡanza/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | omukono /omukono/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | omukono /omukono/ | omukono /omukono/ |
| Eye | ijisho /idʒiʃo/ | ijisho /idʒiʃo/ | iriiso /iɾiːso/ | eriiso /eriːso/ | iliho /iliho/ | eriisho /eriːʃo/ | eriiso /eɾiːso/ |
| Hello | amahoro /amahoɾo/ | muraho /muɾaːho/ | mbukire /mbukiɾe/ | agandi /aɡandi/ | mbasala /mbasala/ | oraire /oraire/ | oli otya /oli otja/ |
| Thank you | murakoze /muɾakoze/ | murakoze /muɾakoze/ | ahsante /ahsante/ | webare /webare/ | nashukulu /naʃukulu/ | webare /webare/ | webale /weːbale/ |
| One | rimwe /ɾimwe/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ | umwe /umwe/ | emwe /emwe/ | imo /imo/ | rumwe /rumwe/ | emu /emu/ |
| Good | nziza /nziza/ | byiza /bjiza/ | kihi /kihi/ | kirungi /kiruŋɡi/ | kwifwa /kwifwa/ | kurungi /kuruŋɡi/ | kirungi /tʃiɾuŋɡi/ |
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