Luvale language

Luvale
Chiluvale
Native toAngola, Zambia
EthnicityLovale
Native speakers
640,000 (2001–2010)[1]
Latin (Luvale alphabet)
Luvale Braille
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Language codes
ISO 639-3lue
Glottologluva1239
K.14[2]

Luvale (also spelt Chiluvale, Lovale, Lubale, Luena, Lwena) is a Bantu language spoken by the Lovale people of Angola and Zambia. It is recognized as a regional language for educational and administrative purposes in Zambia, where about 168,000 people speak it as of 2006. Luvale uses a modified form of the latin alphabet in its written form.[3]

Luvale is closely related to Chokwe.

Vocabulary

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It contains many loanwords from Portuguese from colonial contact during 20th century,[4] such as:

Luvale Portuguese English
xikata escada ladder
xikitelu mosquitero mosquito net
ngatwe gato cat
mbalili barril powder keg (lit. barrel)
kaluwaxa carro bicyle
semana semana week

Phonology

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Consonants of Luvale[5]
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Plosive/
Affricate
voiceless p t k
prenasal ᵐb ⁿd ᶮdʒ ᵑɡ
Fricative voiceless f s ʃ h
voiced v z ʒ
Approximant w l j

Vowels

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Vowels of Luvale[5]
Front Central Back
Close i iː u uː
Close-mid e eː o oː
Open-mid ɛ ɛː ɔ ɔː
Open a aː

Speakers

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References

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  1. ^ Luvale at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. ^ "Luvale (Chiluvale)". Omniglot. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  4. ^ Albaugh, Ericka A.; de Luna, Kathryn M. (2018). Tracing language movement in Africa. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 263, 267, 269, 271. ISBN 9780190657550.
  5. ^ a b Horton, A. E. (1949). A Grammar of Luvale (2nd ed.). Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press.

Further reading

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  • Horton, A. E. (1949). A Grammar of Luvale. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press.
  • Horton, Albert E. (1953). A Dictionary of Luvale. El Monte, Calif.: Lithographed by Rahn Bros. Print. & Lithographing.
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