The lhukonzo (Konzo) language, variously rendered Lukonzo, Olukonzo, and konzo, is a Bantu language spoken by the Konzo people of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It has a 77% lexical similarity with Nande. There are many dialects, including Sanza (Ekisanza).[1]
Konjo | |
---|---|
Olhukonzo | |
Native to | Uganda and Democratic Republic of the Congo |
Ethnicity | Bakonjo |
Native speakers | 610,000 in Uganda (2002 census)[1] |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | koo |
Glottolog | konz1239 |
JD.41 [2] |
a | b | d | e | f | g | h | i | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | y | z |
Labial | Dental | Alveolar | Retroflex | Postalveolar/ Palatal | Velar | Glottal | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nasal | m | n | ɲ ⟨ny⟩ | |||||
Stop | prenasalized | ᵐb ⟨mb⟩ | ⁿd ⟨nd⟩ | ᶮɟ ⟨ngy⟩ | ᵑɡ ⟨ng⟩ | |||
implosive/ voiced | ɓ ⟨bb⟩ | d | ɟ ⟨gy⟩ | g | ||||
voiceless | p | t | ʈ ⟨th⟩ | c ⟨ky⟩ | k | |||
voiceless prenasalized | ⁿt ⟨nt⟩ | |||||||
Affricate | t͡s ⟨ts⟩ | |||||||
Fricative | prenasalized | ⁿz ⟨nz⟩ | ||||||
voiced | v | β ⟨b⟩ | z | ɣ ⟨gh⟩ | ||||
voiceless | f | s | h ⟨h⟩ | |||||
Approximant | l | ɭ ⟨lh⟩ | j ⟨y⟩ | w | ||||
Rhotic | r |
Konzo is characterized by distinguishing advanced and retracted tongue root.[5]
Front | Back | |
---|---|---|
Close | i | u |
Near-close | ɪ | ʊ |
Mid | ɛ | ɤ o |
Open | a |
List of basic phrases and words.[6]