Kiga language

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See also: Nkore-Kiga language
Kiga
Chiga
Orukiga
Native toUganda, Rwanda
EthnicityBakiga, Twa
Native speakers
1.6 million (2002 census)[1]
Language family
Niger–Congo?
  • Atlantic–Congo
    • Volta-Congo
      • Benue–Congo
        • Bantoid
          • Southern Bantoid
            • Bantu
              • Northeast Bantu
                • Great Lakes Bantu
                  • West Nyanza
                    • Rutara
                      • Nkore-Kiga-Nyoro-Tooro
                        • Nkore-Kiga
                          • Kiga
Standard forms
  • Runyakitara
Language codes
ISO 639-3cgg
Glottologchig1238
Guthrie code
JE.14[2]
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A Kiga speaker, recorded in Uganda.

Kiga (also called Rukiga, Ruchiga, or Chiga) is a Great Lakes Bantu language of the Kiga people (Bakiga). Kiga is a similar and partially mutually intelligible with the Nkore language. It was first written in the second half of the 19th century. Kiga is largely spoken in the ancient Kigezi region which includes about 5 districts, namely;Rubanda, Rukiga, Kabale, Kanungu and some parts of Rukungiri. As of 2021, Kiga is spoken natively by about 1.3 million people in Uganda.

Kiga is so similar to Nkore (84%–94% lexical similarity[3]) that some argue they are dialects of the same language, called Nkore-Kiga by Charles Taylor.[4]

Orthography[]

  • a - [a]
  • b - [b]
  • ch/c - [t͡ʃ]
  • d - [d]
  • e - [ɛ]
  • f - [f]
  • g - [g/gʲ]
  • h - [h]
  • i - [i]
  • j - [d͡ʒ]
  • k - [k/kʲ]
  • m - [m]
  • n - [n]
  • ny - [ɲ]
  • o - [ɔ]
  • p - [p]
  • r - [r]
  • s - [s]
  • t - [t]
  • ts - [t͡s]
  • u - [u]
  • v - [v]
  • w - [w]
  • y - [j]
  • z - [z]

D and P are only used in foreign names and loanwords.

G and K are palatalised before I.

  • ai - [ai̯]
  • ei - [ɛi̯]
  • gy - [ɟ]
  • ky - [c]
  • mp - [ᵐp]
  • mw - [ᵐw]
  • nd - [ⁿd]
  • ng - [ŋ]
  • oi - [ɔi̯]
  • sh - [ʃ][5]

Grammar[]

In common with other Bantu languages, Kiga has a noun class system in which prefixes on nouns mark membership of one of the noun genders. Pronouns, adjectives, and verbs reflect the noun gender of the nominal they refer to. Some examples of noun classes:

  • mu – person (singular), e.g. omukiga = inhabitant of Kigezi land
  • ru – language, e.g. Rukiga = language of the Kiga
  • ba – people, e.g. Bakiga = The Kiga people
  • ki – customs or traditions, e.g. kikiga, (sometimes spelled Kichiga), describes religious tradition common to the Kiga people. Sometimes the people are called 'Chiga' by people misunderstanding the linguistic rules in relation to the prefixes.

The sound [l] is not distinctive in Rukiga. The letter "r" is used instead.

See also[]

  • Runyakitara language
  • Nkore-Kiga

References[]

  1. ^ Kiga at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
  2. ^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. ^ Lewis, Paul M. (ed.) (2009). "Ethnologue Report for Language Code: nyn". Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. Dallas, TX: SIL International. Retrieved 9 December 2009.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Poletto, Robert E. (1998). Topics in Runyankore Phonology (PDF). Linguistics Graduate Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. Retrieved Dec 8, 2009.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Kiga language". Omniglot. Retrieved 19 February 2021.


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