Lega language

Bantu language spoken in DR Congo

Lega
Native to	DR Congo
Ethnicity	Lega
Native speakers	(450,000 cited 1982–2000)^[1]
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Benue–Congo Bantoid Bantu (Zone D.20) Lega–Binja Lega–Bemba Lega
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Variously: `lea` – Shabunda Lega `lgm` – Mwenga Lega `khx` – Kanu `ktf` – Kwami
Glottolog	`lega1253`
Guthrie code	`D.25,251`^[2]
ELP	Kanu

A speaker of the Lega language, also called Kilega

Lega is a Bantu language, or dialect cluster, of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There are two major varieties, Shabunda Lega and Mwenga Lega; Mwenga Lega, with about 10% of speakers, finds Shabunda difficult to understand. Kanu has been assigned a separate ISO code but is a dialect of Shabunda, and no more divergent than other dialects.

Variant spellings of 'Lega' are Rega, Leka, Ileka, Kilega, Kirega. Shabunda is also known as Igonzabale, and Mwenga as Shile or Ishile. Gengele is reported to be a Shabunda-based creole.

According to Ethnologue, Bembe is part of the same dialect continuum. Nyindu is a dialect of Shi that has been heavily influenced by Lega.

Phonology

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	i		u
Near-close	ɪ		ʊ
Mid	e		o
Open		a

Consonants

		Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar
Nasal		m	n	ɲ	ŋ
Plosive	voiceless	p	t		k
Plosive	voiced	b	d	(ɟ)	g
Fricative	voiceless	(f)	s	ʃ
Fricative	voiced	v	z
Trill			r
Lateral			l
Approximant				j	w

[ɟ] can also be heard in the consonant sequence /ɡj/.^[3]
/f/ can be heard from loanwords.^[4]

References

^ Shabunda Lega at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
Mwenga Lega at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
Kanu at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
Kwami at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
^ Botne, Robert (2003). Lega (Beya Dialect) (D25). In Nurse, Derek and Philippson, Gérard (eds.), The Bantu Languages: London & New York: Routledge. pp. 422–449.
^ Masumbuko Wa-Busungu, Léopold (2019). Grammaire du kilega-lega: D25 : esquisse d'une langue bantoue de la RD Congo. Édilivre, 2019.

Narrow Bantu languages (Zones C–D) (by Guthrie classification)

Zone C

C10	C11 Ngondi C12a Pande C12b Bogongo C13 Mbati C14 Mbomotaba C15 Bongili C16 Lobala [C101 Dibole C102 Ngando C103 Kota C104 Yaka C105 Mbenga C141 Enyele C142 Bondongo C143 Mbonzo C161 Bomboli C162 Bozaba
C20	C21 Mboko C22 Akwa C23[21] Ngare C24 Koyo C25 Mbosi C26 Kwala C27 Kuba [C201 Bwenyi
C30	C31a Loi C31b Ngiri C31c Nunu C32 Bobangi C33 Sengele C34 Sakata C35a Ntomba C35b Bolia C36a Poto C36b Mpesa C36c Mbudza C36d Mangala C36e Boloki C36f Kangana C36g Ndolo C37 Buja [C301 Doko C302 Bolondo C311 Mabaale C312 Ndoobo C313 Litoka C314 Balobo C315 Enga C321 Binza C322 Dzamba C323 Mpama C371 Tembo C372 Kunda C373 Gbuta C374 Babale
C40	C41 Ngombe C42 Bwela C43 Bati C44 Boa C45 Angba [C401 Pagibete C403 Kango C411 Bomboma C412 Bamwe C413 Dzando C414 Ligendza C415 Likula C441 Bango
C50	C51 Mbesa C52 So C53 Poke C54 Lombo C55 Kele C56 Foma [C501 Likile C502 Linga
C60	C61a Northeast Mongo C61b Northwest Mongo C62 Lalia [C63 Ngando C611 Bafoto
C70	C71 Tetela C72 Kusu C73 Nkutu C74 Yela C75 Kela C76 Ombo [C701 Langa
C80	C81 Dengese C82 Songomeno C83 Busoong C84 Lele C85 Wongo

Zone D

D10	D11 Mbole D12 Lengola D13 Metoko D14 Enya [D141 Zura
D20	D21 Bali D22 Amba D23 Komo D24 Songola D25 Lega D26 Zimba D27 Bangubangu D28a West Holoholo D28b East Holoholo [D201 Liko D211 Kango D251 Lega-Malinga D281 Tumbwe D282 Lumbwe
D30	D31 Peri D32 Bira D33 Nyali [D301 Kari D302 Guru D303 Ngbinda D304 Homa D305 Nyanga-li D306 Gbati-ri D307 Mayeka D308 Bodo D311 Bila D312 Kaiku D313 Ibutu D331 Bvanuma D332 Budu D333 Ndaaka D334 Mbo D335 Beeke D336 Ngbee
[J]D40	[J]D41 Konzo [J]D42 Ndandi [J]D43 Nyanga
[J]D50	[J]D51 Hunde [J]D52 Haavu [J]D53 Nyabungu [J]D54 Bembe [J]D55 Buyi [J]D56 Kabwari [JD501 Nyindu [J]JD502 Yaka [J]JD531 Tembo
[J]D60	[J]D61 Ruanda [J]D62 Rundi [J]D63 Fuliiro [J]D64 Shubi [J]D65 Hangaza [J]D66 Ha [J]D67 Vinza [JD631 Vira

Italics indicate extinct languages.
Languages between parentheses are varieties of the language on their left.

The Guthrie classification is geographic and its groupings do not imply a relationship between the languages within them.

Narrow Bantu languages by Guthrie classification zone templates: Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones A–B); Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones C–D); Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones E–H); Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones J–M); Template:Narrow Bantu languages (Zones N–S)