Songe language
Bantu language spoken in DR Congo
Songe, also known as Songye, Kisonge, Lusonge, Yembe, and Northeast Luba, is a Bantu language spoken by the Songye people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In particular, it is spoken in the provinces of Kasai Oriental, Lomami, Sankuru, Tanganyika, and Maniema.
Ethnologue notes that Songe is "related" to Mbagani, which they do not include in their database. Maho (2009) labels as "Mbagani (Binji)" one of the two geographic areas Ethnologue assigns to Songe, but says that it is closer to Lwalu; he says that it is a different language, Binji, that is close to Songe.
01Vocabulary
Nouns and Classes (Substantifs)
| Kisonge Term | English Translation | Original French |
Grammatical Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| muntu | Person / Human | homme / personne | Singular (Class 1); Plural is bantu |
| mukashi | Woman / Wife | femme | Singular (Class 1); Plural is bakashi |
| mema | Water | eu | Pluralia tantum (Class 6; exists only in the plural) |
| malufu | Palm wine | vin de palme |
Isolated Pronouns
| Kisonge Term | English Translation | Original French |
Grammatical Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ami | I / Me | je / moi | First-person singular |
| obe | You | tu / toi | Second-person singular |
| e | He / She / It | il / elle | Third-person singular |
| atwe | We | nous | First-person plural |
| anue | You (all)) | vous | Second-person plural |
| abo | They | ils / elles | Third-person plural |
Adjective Roots and Gender Derivations (Adjectifs)
| Kisonge Term | English Translation | Original French |
Grammatical Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| -kata | Big / Large | grand | Adjective root |
| -fita | Black | noir | Adjective root |
| -uwa | Good | bon | Adjective root |
| -kashi | Female | femelle | Derivational suffix indicating gender |
Verbs and Relational Particles (Verbes et Locatifs)
| Kisonge Term | English Translation | Original French |
Grammatical Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| kukila | To surpass | dépasser | Verb used structurally to form comparative sentences |
| kukamba | To exceed | surpasser | Verb used structurally to form superlative sentences |
| -a | Of | de | Associative/Genitive particle (takes prefixes like wa, ba) |
| mu | Inside / In | dans | Locative marker |
| ku | Toward / Near | vers / près de | Locative marker |
| fa / ja | On / Upon | sur | Locative marker |
02Phonology
Vowels
A five vowel system with vowel length is present:
Consonants
03Sample text
Nkindi 31:1-10 (Jehovah’s Witnesses version)
Ano mmayi a nfumu Lemuele, mukandu wa muulo ubaadi nyinaye mumulungule bua kumulongiesha: Nkulungule namu kinyi, Ô muana ande mulume, Nkulungule kinyi, Ô muana a muifu diande, Na nkulungule kinyi, obe muana a mitshipo yande? Tokumanga kupa bana bakashi bukome bobe, Sunga kulonda mashinda aabutulaa ba nfumu. Tabi buwa bua ba nfumu, Ô Lemuele, Tabi buwa ba nfumu batome malofu, Sunga bakunkushi buabadia kuamba’shi: “A malofu ande e kunyi?” Tala batoma, baaluba miiya, Na baluisha kilumbu kia bantu bashadile. Pa baba abashimina malofu ebukopo, Na ope baba be na kinyongua kibukopo nfinyo. Batome bua’shi balube bulanda buabo; Na bayiluankane nkalakashi yabo. Akuila muntu shi na bia kuilamuina; Kaluila matalua a baba boso babakimbi kuipaa. Akula na osambishe na kululama; Kaluila matalua a bantu bashadile na balanda. Nnanyi mulombene kupeta mukashi sha ngobesha? E na muulo ukata kukila mabue a koraye.
Translation
Proverbs 31:1-10 (Jehovah’s Witnesses version)
The words of King Lemʹu·el, the weighty message his mother gave to instruct him: What should I tell you, O my son, What, O son of my womb, and what, O son of my vows? Do not give your vigor to women, nor follow ways that destroy kings. It is not for kings, O Lemʹu·el, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for rulers to say, “Where is my drink?” So that they do not drink and forget what is decreed, and pervert the rights of the lowly ones. Give alcohol to those who are perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress. Let them drink and forget their poverty; Let them remember their trouble no more. Speak up on behalf of the speechless; Defend the rights of all who are perishing. Speak up and judge righteously; defend the rights of the lowly and the poor. Who can find a capable wife? Her value is far more than that of corals.
- Palatalization [ʲ] and labialization [ʷ] is also present among consonant sounds.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Songe language”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
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