Luyia - oluLuyia

1. Classification / Classification

Luyia (the spelling Luhya is not currently favored) belongs to the Central-Luhya Group of Bantu (Guthrie E32) (Webbook)

Ethnologue lists the classification as: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, J, Masaba-Luyia (J.30), Luyia

2. Where Spoken / Localisation géographique

It is spoken in neighboring areas of Kenya and Uganda near Lake Victoria. (Webbook)

3. Number of Speakers / Nombre de locuteurs

According to Ethnologue:

• 3,418,083 in Kenya (1989 census)
• 225,378 in Uganda (1991 census)
• Population total all countries: 3,643,461

Wikipedia gives a figure of 4,600,000

4. Dialect Survey / Enquête de dialecte

Most sources report that Luyia has around 17 or 18 dialects. (Webbook)

According to Ethnologue:

• Kisa (Shisa, Lushisa)
• Marama
• Wanga (Hanga, Luhanga, Oluhanga, Kawanga, Oluwanga)
• Tsotso
• Saamia (Samia, Olusamia, Lusamia, Lusaamia, Samya) (Saamia has 88% lexical similarity with Wanga, 80% with Nyore, 62% with Masaba, 59% to 61% with Ganda, 52% with Isuxa, 51% with Gwere)
• West Nyala (Nyala-B)
• Khayo
• Songa
• Marachi
• Kabras
• Lugwe
• (Dialects in [Kenya and] Uganda have 92% lexical similarity

5. Usage / Utilisation

Luyia is a regional first language. It is heard on Voice of Kenya. (Webbook)

Literacy rate of Luyia speakers in Kenya (according to Ethnologue):

• L1: 10% to 30%
• L2: 25% to 75%

6. Orthography / Orthographe

6.1 Status / Statut

Nandwa (personal communication, 1983) reports there was a standardized orthography, but due to political pressures different orthographies have been developed in some of the dialects. (Webbook) [current status?]

The orthography is Latin-based and appears not to include any extended characters or diacritics. [verify!]

6.2 Sample Alphabet / Alphabet exemple

A sample text is shown on the "Language Museum" site at http://www.language-museum.com/l/luyia.htm

7. Use in ICT / Utilisation dans les TIC

7.1 Fonts / Polices

Most standard fonts may suffice [verify!]

7.2 Keyboard layouts / Dispositions de clavier

7.3 Content on computers & internet / Contenu en informatique et sur l'Internet

7.4 Localized software / Logiciels localisés

Not aware of any.

7.5 Language codes / Codes de langue

• ISO 639-1: -
• ISO 639-2: -
• ISO/DIS 639-3: luy

7.6 Other / Autre

8. Localisation resources / Ressources pour localisation

8.1 Individuals (experts) / Individuelles (experts)

Linguist list report on linguists who have done research on Luyia

8.2 Institutions / Institutions

8.3 On the internet / Sur la toile

9. Comments / Remarques

10. References / Références

Dwyer, David (1997), Webbook of African Languages, http://www.isp.msu.edu/AfrLang/hiermenu.html (page on "Luyia," http://www.isp.msu.edu/AfrLang/Luyia_root.html )

SIL International, Ethnologue: Languages of the World, "Luyia," http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=luy

SIL International, "ISO 639 Code Tables," http://www.sil.org/iso639-3/codes.asp

U.S. Library of Congress, "ISO 639.2: Codes for the Representation of Names of Languages: Alpha-3 codes arranged alphabetically by the English name of language," http://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/English_list.php

Wikipedia, "Luhya languages," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luhya_languages

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