Language Lesson #2 (August 15, 2006)

Luhya is a strictly Bantu language which has a lot of grammatical overlap with Swahili. Luo is Nilotic and is, in my opinion, one of the more difficult languages to grasp because it's not linguistically related to any of its neighboring dialects. I still don't understand the grammar for either of these, but here are the five words I know in each language.

Another pronunciation reminder: these vowels are pronounced like those in Spanish.

Also, if there's a double vowel (e.g. "kiingereza") you don't pronounce the vowel twice, you just draw out the sound ("eeeee" versus "ee").

In Kiluhya (Luhya)
Greetings:
Formal: Marembe (or Malembe, depending on pronunciation); Orie?
Response: Marembe mono; Ndimalamu

Thank you: wevare
You're welcome: karibu (same as Swahili - maybe this is a usage thing?)

To cook: odeha
Thank you (in Kiganda): orio mono

In Kidiluo (Luo):
Greetings
Formal: Oyaore (morning); osaore (midday); oimore (evening)
Slang: Coro
Response: Beshere; Adimaber; Ber

Thank you: Erukamano


A random note on Kiganda:
So "Kiganda" is the Swahili word for "Luganda," one of the more commonly spoken languages in Uganda. I think this is interesting because technically Swahili and English are the national languages, I think, and yet from what I've been told way more people speak Luganda. Really strange - maybe like how in Pakistan the majority of the population speaks Punjabi but the national language is Urdu?