| Konjo | |
|---|---|
| Olhukonzo,Lhukonzo,Olukonzo,Konzo | |
| Native to | Uganda andDemocratic Republic of the Congo |
| Region | Rwenzori Mountains region |
| Ethnicity | Bakonjo |
Native speakers | 610,000 in Uganda (2002 census)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | koo |
| Glottolog | konz1239 |
JD.41[2] | |
Konjo (also known asLhukonzo,Olukonzo,Rukonjo,Konjo orOlukonjo) is aBantu language spoken primarily by theKonjo people inUganda and theDemocratic Republic of the Congo. The language belongs to the Northeast Bantu subgroup and demonstrates significant linguistic similarities with neighboring languages in theGreat Lakes region of Africa. It has a 77% lexical similarity withNande. There are many dialects, including Sanza (Ekisanza).[3][1]
In Uganda, Konjo is primarily spoken in the southwestern districts ofBundibugyo,Kabarole,Kasese, andNtoroko. These areas are located in the foothills and slopes of theRwenzori Mountains, which form a natural boundary between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the DRC, the language is spoken in theNord-Kivu province, particularly in areas adjacent to the Ugandan border.[3]
The geographic distribution of Konjo speakers reflects historical migration patterns and the traditional territories of the Konjo people, who have inhabited the Rwenzori region for centuries. The mountainous terrain has contributed to the development of distinct dialectal variations within the language.[3]
Konjo belongs to theBantu language family, which is part of the largerNiger-Congo phylum. Within the Bantu classification system, it is grouped under the Northeast Bantu cluster, specifically in the Great Lakes Bantu subgroup.[4]
The language demonstrates a particularly close relationship withNande, spoken across the border in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with which it shares approximately 77% lexical similarity. This high degree of mutual intelligibility suggests a relatively recent common ancestor and ongoing contact between speaker communities.[1][3]
Konjo exhibits considerable dialectal variation across its geographic range. One of the most well-documented dialects isSanza (also calledEkisanza), which is spoken in specific regions within the broader Konjo-speaking area. The existence of multiple dialects reflects both geographic separation due to mountainous terrain and historical patterns of settlement and migration among Konjo communities.[3][5]
Like other Bantu languages, Konjo exhibits characteristic features including a system of noun classes, agglutinative morphology, and tonal distinctions that carry lexical and grammatical meaning. The specific phonological inventory and tonal patterns of Konjo reflect both its Bantu heritage and regional innovations that distinguish it from related languages.[3]
| Labial | Dental | Alveolar | Retroflex | Postalveolar/Palatal | Velar | Glottal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ⟨ny⟩ | |||||
| Stop | prenasalized | ᵐb⟨mb⟩ | ⁿd⟨nd⟩ | ᶮɟ⟨ngy⟩ | ᵑɡ⟨ng⟩ | |||
| implosive/voiced | ɓ⟨bb⟩ | d | ɟ⟨gy⟩ | g | ||||
| voiceless | p | t | ʈ⟨th⟩ | c⟨ky⟩ | k | |||
| voicelessprenasalized | ⁿt⟨nt⟩ | |||||||
| Affricate | t͡s⟨ts⟩ | |||||||
| Fricative | prenasalized | ⁿz⟨nz⟩ | ||||||
| voiced | v | β⟨b⟩ | z | ɣ⟨gh⟩ | ||||
| voiceless | f | s | h⟨h⟩ | |||||
| Approximant | l | ɭ⟨lh⟩ | j⟨y⟩ | w | ||||
| Rhotic | r | |||||||
Konzo is characterized by distinguishingadvanced and retracted tongue root.[6]
| [3] | Front | Back |
|---|---|---|
| Close | i | u |
| Near-close | ɪ | ʊ |
| Mid | ɛ | ɤo |
| Open | a |
Konjo utilizes theLatin alphabet for written representation, following orthographic conventions established for many African languages during the colonial period. The writing system has been refined over time to better represent the language's phonological distinctions and to serve the needs of literacy programs and documentation efforts.[7][5]
| a | b | d | e | f | g | h | i | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | y | z |
List of basic phrases and words.[8]
Theinfinitive is indicated by the prefixeri- (before a consonant) orery- (before a vowel). For example:ery'asa ("to come").[8]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
