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Luvale language

Today, Luvale language is a topic of great relevance and interest to a wide audience. Over time, Luvale language has acquired significant importance in different areas of society, from politics and economics to culture and everyday life. Its impact has been felt both locally and internationally, generating ongoing debates, controversies and investigations. In this article, we will explore the various facets of Luvale language and analyze its influence in different contexts. From its origins to its current evolution, Luvale language has proven to be a topic of great relevance and promises to continue being the subject of discussion and analysis in the future.

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Luvale
Chiluvale
Native toAngola, Zambia
EthnicityLovale
Native speakers
640,000 (2001–2010)[1]
Latin (Luvale alphabet)
Luvale Braille
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Language codes
ISO 639-3lue
Glottologluva1239
K.14[2]

Luvale (also spelt Chiluvale, Lovale, Lubale, Luena, Lwena) is a Bantu language spoken by the Lovale people of Angola and Zambia.

Is is the native language of 180 thousand people in Angola (as of 2024), mostly in the Moxico Leste Province, where a third of the population speaks it as a native language.[3] It is recognized as a regional language for educational and administrative purposes in Zambia, where about 168,000 people speak it (as of 2006). Luvale uses a modified form of the Latin alphabet in its written form.[4]

Luvale is closely related to Chokwe.

Vocabulary

It contains many loanwords from Portuguese from colonial contact during 20th century,[5] such as:

Luvale Portuguese English
xikata escada ladder
xikitelu mosquitero mosquito net
ngatwe gato cat
mbalili barril powder keg (lit. barrel)
kaluwaxa carro bicycle
semana semana week

Most verbs begin with "ku" in the infinitive form. In a modern dictionary, verbs are listed without the "ku" prefix, unlike in older dictionaries.

Verb Without Prefix English infinitive
kutonga tonga to sew
kwimba imba to sing
kwehuka ehuka to step aside

Phonology

Consonants

Consonants of Luvale[6]
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Plosive/
Affricate 		voiceless p t tʃ k
prenasal ᵐb ⁿd ᶮdʒ ᵑɡ
Fricative voiceless f s ʃ h
voiced v z ʒ
Approximant w l j

Consonants may also occur as labialized or palatalized .

Vowels

Vowels of Luvale[6]
Front Central Back
Close i iː u uː
Close-mid e eː o oː
Open-mid ɛ ɛː ɔ ɔː
Open a aː

Speakers

References

  1. ^ Luvale at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. ^ "Resultados Definitivos do Recenseamento Geral da População e Habitação - 2024" (PDF) (in Portuguese). 2025-11-20.
  4. ^ "Luvale (Chiluvale)". Omniglot. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  5. ^ Albaugh, Ericka A.; de Luna, Kathryn M. (2018). Tracing language movement in Africa. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 263, 267, 269, 271. ISBN 9780190657550.
  6. ^ a b Horton, A. E. (1949). A Grammar of Luvale (2nd ed.). Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)

Further reading

  • Horton, A. E. (1949). A Grammar of Luvale. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press.
  • Horton, Albert E. (1953). A Dictionary of Luvale. El Monte, Calif.: Lithographed by Rahn Bros. Print. & Lithographing.
  • kasahorow (2025). Luvale Learner's Dictionary. New York City, New York: kasahorow.
Luvale language test of Wikipedia at Wikimedia Incubator


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