Lango language (Uganda)
| Lango | |
|---|---|
| Lëblaŋo | |
| Native to | Uganda |
| Region | Lango sub-region |
| Ethnicity | Lango |
Native speakers | 2.1 million (2014 census)[1] |
| Latin | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | laj |
| Glottolog | lang1324 |
| Glottopedia | Lango[2] |
Lango(also calledLeb-Lango) is aSouthern Luo languageordialect clusterof theWestern Niloticlanguage branch.[3]The word "Lango" is used to describe both the language spoken by the indigenous and the tribe itself.
It is mainly spoken inLango sub-region,in the North Central Region of Uganda. An orthography for it using theLatin scripthas been introduced and is taught in primary schools.
The origin ofLango peopleis strongly linked to theKaramojongandTesospeaking people.[4]
Phonology
[edit]Consonants
[edit]| Bilabial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stop | voiceless | p | t | k | (ʔ) | |
| voiced | b | d | g | |||
| Affricate | voiceless | tɕ | ||||
| voiced | dʑ | |||||
| Fricative | (ɸ) | (s) | (ɕ) | (x) | ||
| Lateral | l | |||||
| Tap | voiceless | (ɾ̥) | ||||
| voiced | ɾ | |||||
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | ||
| Semivowel | w | j | ||||
In addition to these consonants, the Lango language maintains agemination[Cː] distinction in the stops, affricates, nasals and lateral.
Voiceless stops and affricates are slightlyaspirated,whereas voiced stops and affricates are fully voiced, sometimes with a characteristic ofbreathy voice.Stops are normallyunreleasedat the end of an utterance.
Fricatives and thevoiceless alveolar tapare found incomplementary distributionwith ungeminated voiceless stops and affricates:[3]
- [p] alternates with [ɸ]
- [t] alternates with [ɾ̥]
- [tɕ] alternates with [s] and [ɕ]
- [k] alternates with [x]
A glottal stop [ʔ] can also be heard in word-initial position, or in other intervocalic positions. In slow speech, it may also be heard as a murmured fricative [ɦ].[3]
Vowels
[edit]Kumam has ten vowels, forming an asymmetric vowel harmony system based onadvanced and retracted tongue root,wherein the presence of advanced tongue root vowels [+ATR] may change retracted tongue root vowels [-ATR], but the reverse does not hold. Vowels can be lengthened but in a predictable manner.[3]
| [+ATR] | [-ATR] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front | Central | Back | Front | Central | Back | |
| Close | i | u | ɪ | ʊ | ||
| Mid | e | ə | o | ɛ | ɔ | |
| Open | a | |||||
Writing system
[edit]| a | b | c | d | e | ë | g | i | ï | j | k | l | m | n | ŋ | ny | o | ö | p | r | t | u | ü | w | y |
Long vowels are indicated by doubling the vowel:⟨aa, ee, ëë, ii, ïï, oo, öö, uu, üü⟩.
References
[edit]- ^LangoatEthnologue(25th ed., 2022)
- ^Glottopedia article on Lango language.
- ^abcdNoonan, Michael (2011).A Grammar of Lango.doi:10.1515/9783110850512.ISBN9783110850512.
- ^Uzoigwe, G. N. (1973).The beginnings of Lango society: a review of evidence.OCLC38562622.
- ^Teacher's Guide Lëblaŋo: An atwërö kwan kede cöc(PDF).Uganda Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Sports, National Curriculum Development Centre. 2014. p. 286.
- Okoth Okombo, Duncan (1997).A Functional Grammar of Dholuo.Köln: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag.ISBN978-3-89645-130-9.
