Nyankole

Nyankole is an Atlantic-Congo language spoken in Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, by about 2.3 million people.

See it on the globe Open in the family tree

Nyankole · 0.5°S 30.5°E

Nkore (also called Nkole, Nyankore, Nyankole, Orunyankore, Orunyankole, Runyankore and Runyankole) is a Bantu language spoken by the Nkore ("Banyankore") of south-western Uganda in the former province of Ankole, as well as in Tanzania, the DR Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.

Runyankole is mainly spoken in the Mbarara, Bushenyi, Ntungamo, Kiruhura, Ibanda, Isingiro, Rukungiri, Buhweju, Mitooma, Rwampara, Sheema, Rubirizi, and parts of Kitagwenda districts.

There is a brief description and teaching guide for this language, written by Charles V. Taylor in the 1950s, and an adequate dictionary in print. Whilst this language is spoken by almost all the Ugandans in the region, most also speak English, especially in the towns. (English is one of Uganda's two official languages, and the language taught in schools.)

From Wikipedia · Nkore language · CC BY-SA 4.0

Written down

Abantu nibazaarwa baine obugabe nobushoborozi ebiri kwingana nibahangwa baine obwengye kandi barikubasa kwahura ekirungi nekibi, nahabwekyo abantu bashemereire kutuura kumwe nkabanya Uganda.

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR in Unicode).

Words in Nyankole

Meaning	Word	Romanization
woman	omukazi
person	ntu*
name	zina*
eye	iSo*
ear	tu*
nose	yindo*
tooth	ino*
tongue	rimi*
hand	garo*
head	omutwe
blood	Sagama*
bone	gufa*
skin	biri*
knee	ju*
breast	fuba*
liver	tugu*
water	amaizi
fire	riro*
sun	zoba*
star	enyonyoozi
stone	bare*
mountain	goNgo*
tree	ti*
leaf	babi*
night	5eTiro*
dog	bwa*
fish	e5anja*
louse	Te*
one	mwe*
two	biri*