Luhya (Luiya, Masaba-Luiya, Oluluya, Luhia; Luyia, Oluluyia) is a subgroup of languages within the Bantu languages . Distributed in western Kenya among the people of the lukha , living between Lake Victoria in the south, the border with Uganda in the west and Mount Elgon in the north, as well as in Uganda, where some carriers do not identify with the people of lukha. The number of carriers, according to various estimates, is from 6 to 10 million people.
| Luha Language (s), oLuLuhya | |
|---|---|
| Taxon | Subgroup or dialect unity |
| Status | Universally recognized |
| Area | Kenya , Uganda |
| Number of carriers | 4.6 million people |
| Classification | |
| Category | African languages |
Nigerian-Congolese macro-family
| |
| Composition | |
| - | |
| Language group codes | |
| ISO 639-2 | - |
| ISO 639-5 | - |
In the classification of M. Gasri, the fluke languages form the group E30, later this group (along with some other groups from zones D and E) were assigned to the newly created zone J. The language of logoli (E41 by Gasri and Tervuren) was included in this group later. The internal classification of the languages of Luha remains a matter of debate. The latest edition of Ethnologue gives a maximally detailed list of 16 languages, but the division into 6-9 languages is more generally accepted:
- masaba bukusu
- Bukusu (Lubukusu, Bukusu) [bxk] - J31c
- Masaba (Masaaba) [myx] - Uganda
- saamia
- hayo
- marachi
- (Actually) Samia - Uganda, Kenya
- central luya
- marama
- kitty
- zozzo
- Wanga (Hanga)
- idaho-isuha-tiriki
- cabras tachoni
- cabras
- tachoni
- logoli
- nyala (western and eastern dialects)
- Nyore (Kenyan Nyole)
- Newley (Ugandan Niole) - Uganda
- Note: if not specified, language / dialect is common only in Kenya .