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textbook. (April 2018) |
Luchazi | |
---|---|
Ngangela | |
Chiluchazi | |
Native to | Angola, Zambia |
Native speakers | 431,000 (2010-2014) [1] |
Niger–Congo?
| |
Official status | |
Recognised minority language in | Angola (as "Nganguela" or "Ganguela") |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 |
lch – inclusive codeIndividual codes:
lch – Luchazi
nba – Nyemba (Ngangela)
mfu – Mbwela |
Glottolog |
luch1239 Luchazi
nyem1238 Nyemba
mbwe1238 Mbwela |
K.13, K.12b, K.17
[2] |
Luchazi (Lucazi, Chiluchazi) is a Bantu language of Angola and Zambia. Luchazi is the principal language of the Ngangela Group. [3] Ngangela is a term coined by the Vimbundu traders and missionaries in 18th century to describe the tribes occupying the area of eastern-central Angola. [4]
The following table displays all the consonants in Luchazi: [5]
Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | ||
Plosive | voiceless | p | t tʲ 1 | t͡ʃ | k | |
prenasalized | ᵐb | ⁿd | ᶮd͡ʒ | ᵑɡ | ||
prenasalized asp. | ᵐpʰ | ⁿtʰ | ᵑkʰ | |||
Affricate | t͡s | |||||
Fricative | voiceless | f | s | ʃ 1 | h | |
voiced | β | z | ||||
Approximant | l | j | w |
The position of the speech-organs in producing the consonants is different from the positions taken in producing the similar sounds in European languages. T and D, for example, are lower than in English but higher than in Portuguese. L is flatter-tongued than in either English or Portuguese. The language contains many consonantal glides, including the prenasalized plosives and the voiceless alveolar sibilant affricate (the ts sound). [6]
Front | Back | ||
---|---|---|---|
Close | ɪ iː | ʊ uː | |
Mid | ɛ ɛː | ɔ ɔː | |
Open | a aː | ||
Diphthongs | eɪ aɪ au ia ie io iu ua ue ui uo |
The close front vowel (i), when occurring before another vowel, becomes a semi-consonant and is written y, unless it is immediately preceded by a consonant, when it remains i. Examples: yange, viange.
The vowels have the Continental or Italian values. They are shorter when unstressed and are prolonged when doubled or when stressed at the end of a word.
Short when unstressed or before two consonants or y or s and in monosyllabic adverbs, as a in tata, paya, asa, hanga. Prolonged when doubled or stressed at the end of a word or syllable. Example: ku laako.
Short when unstressed, as a in hete, seze. Short with the value of e in henga, lenda before two consonants. Exceptions are hembo and membo (due to coalescence of vowels). Many words derived from Portuguese have the short vowel though not followed by two consonants. Examples: pena, papelo, luneta, ngehena, etc. Prolonged when stressed at the end of a word.
Short when unstressed or before two consonants, as e in citi, linga. In monosyllabics it is short, as i in it. Examples: ni, ndi. Prolonged when stressed. Examples: ti, fui.
Short when unstressed, as o in soko, loto. Short, with value of o in onga, yoya, kosa, luozi, ndo, before two consonants or y or s, and sometimes before z and in some monosyllables. The o is long in zoza and ngozi. Sometimes prolonged when stressed at the end of a word. Example: to.
Short, when unstressed or before two consonants or before s, as u in futuka, mbunga, kusa.
Luchazi is written using the Latin alphabet, with most characters representing the same sound as in English, with some exceptions. c is pronounced like ch in church, n followed by k or g is always nasal like ng in ring, the sound of v is bilabial instead of labiodental. [3]
D, G, J, R, and Sh only exist in loanwords. [9]