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
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 is closely related to Chokwe.

Vocabulary edit

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 edit

Consonants edit

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 edit

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 edit

References edit

  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 edit

  • 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.

External links edit