- Gciriku language
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Gciriku Rumanyo Spoken in Okavango River Ethnicity Vagciriku, Vamanyo, Vashambyu Native speakers 36,000 (date missing) Language family Niger–Congo- Atlantic–Congo
- Benue–Congo
- Bantoid
- Bantu
- Kavango–Southwest
- Kavango
- Gciriku
- Kavango
- Kavango–Southwest
- Bantu
- Bantoid
- Benue–Congo
Dialects ManyoGcirikuShambyuLanguage codes ISO 639-3 diu This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. Gciriku or Dciriku (Diriku), officially Rumanyo, is a Bantu language spoken by 305,000 people along the Okavango River in Namibia, where it is a national language, in Botswana, and in Angola. It was first known in the west via the Vagciriku, who had migrated from the main Vamanyo area and spoke Rugciriku, a dialect of Rumanyo. The name Gciriku (Dciriku, Diriku) remains common in the literature, but within Namibia the name Rumanyo has been revived.[1]
It is one of several Bantu languages of the Okavango which have click consonants, as in [ ǀɛ́ǀˀà] "bed", [mùǀûkò] "flower", and [kàǀûrù] "tortoise". These clicks, of which there are five, are generally all pronounced with a dental articulation, but there is broad variation between speakers. They are especially common in place names and in words for features of the landscape, reflecting their source in an as-yet unidentified Khoisan language.
References
- ^ Nordic journal of African studies, Volume 12, 2003
External links
- Map of Diriku language from the LL-Map Project
- Information about Diriku language from the MultiTree Project
- Gciriku vocabulary
- Ethnologue report on Gciriku
Languages of Angola
Official National Native Bolo · Diriku · Holu · Khwe · Kilari · Kisikongo · Kung-Ekoka · Kwadi · Kwangali · Lingala · Lucazi · Luimbi · Lunda · Luvale · Luyana · Maligo · Mashi · Mbangala · Mbukushu · Mbwela · Ndombe · Ngandyera · Nkangala · Nkumbi · Nyaneka · Nyemba · Nyengo · !O!ung · Ruund · Sama · Songo · Umbundu · Yaka · Yauma · Yombe · ZembaDialects [Côkwe] Minungo, Ulanda, Ukhongo · [Holu] Yeci · [Khwe] Buma-Kxoe · [Kikongo] South Kongo, South-West Kongo, West Kongo, Ibinda (Cabindan, Fiote, Fioti), Ndingi, Mboka, Kisikongo, Kizombo, Kindibu, Kimanyanga, Cabinda Kiwoyo, Cabinda Kiyombe · [Mbundu] Njinga (Ginga, Jinga), Mbamba (Kimbamba, Bambeiro), Mbaka (Ambaquista), Ngola · [Portuguese] Benguelense, Huambense, Luandense, Southern · [Kwadi] Zorotua (Vasorontu) · [Kwangali] Sambyu (Shisambyu, Sambiu, Sambio) · [Lucazi] Ngangela · [Luyana] Kwandi, Mbowe (Esimbowe), Mdundulu (Ndundulu, Imilangu), Mishulundu · [Mashi] North Kwandu, South Kwandu · [Mbangala] Mbangala, Yongo · [Ngandyera] Kwambi · [Nkumbi] Nkumbi-mulondo · [Nyaneka] Humbe, Mwila (Olumuila, Muila, Huila), Ngambwe (Olungambwe), Handa, Cipungu, Cilenge · [Oshiwambo] Kwanyama, Ndonga, Kwambi, Mbadja · [Umbundu] Mbalundu · [Yaka] Ngoongo · [Yombe] Mbala (Mumbala), Vungunya (Kivungunya, Yombe Classico)Languages of Namibia
Official EnglishRecognized regional Other Bantu languages Khoisan Languages of Botswana
Bantu Khoisan Indo-European Categories:- Language articles with undated speaker data
- Kavango languages
- Languages of Angola
- Languages of Botswana
- Languages of Namibia
- Atlantic–Congo
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