Social:Western Lakes Bantu languages

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Short description: Subgroup of Great Lakes Bantu languages
Western Lakes Bantu
Geographic
distribution
Rwanda, Burundi, Kigoma Region, South Kivu, North Kivu, Kisoro District, Rwenzururu, Kagera Region
Linguistic classificationNiger–Congo
  • Atlantic–Congo
    • Volta-Congo
      • Benue–Congo
        • Bantoid
          • Southern Bantoid
            • Bantu
              • Northeast Bantu
                • Great Lakes Bantu
                  • Western Lakes Bantu
Proto-languageProto-Western Lakes Bantu[1]
Subdivisions
  • Kabwari
  • Kivu
  • Rwenzori
Glottologwest2842[2]

The Western Lakes Bantu languages form a subgroup of the Great Lakes Bantu languages spoken in Rwanda, Burundi the DRC, Uganda and Tanzania.

Classification

The Western Lakes Bantu languages are classified within the Glottolog database as follows:[3]

  • Kabwari
  • Kivu
    • Forest Kivu
      • Fuliiric
        • Fuliiru-Vira
          • Fuliiru
          • Vira (also called Joba)
        • Nyindu
        • Nyindu
      • Hunde-Havu
        • Havu
        • Hunde
      • Shi
      • Tembo
    • West Highlands Kivu
      • Kinyarwanda
      • Rundic
        • Ha
        • Hangaza-Shubi
          • Hangaza
          • Shubi
        • Kirundi
      • Kitwa
      • Vinza
  • Rwenzori
    • Konzo
    • Nande

History

Proto-Western Lakes Bantu was developed in 400 AD by those who remained in the original Proto-Great Lakes Bantu homeland, which was in and on the hillsides of the Kivu Rift Valley.[4]

Similar to the Okiek people in Kenya, the Great Lakes Twa played important roles as "outsiders" in the ritual and oral historiographic life of Western Lakes Bantu speaking societies.[5]

References