fbpx
Wikipedia

Kirundi

Kirundi, also known as Rundi, is a Bantu language spoken by some 9 million people in Burundi and adjacent parts of Rwanda, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, as well as in Kenya. It is the official language of Burundi. Kirundi is mutually intelligible with Kinyarwanda, an official language of Rwanda, and the two form part of the wider dialect continuum known as Rwanda-Rundi.[3]

Rundi
Ikirundi
Native toBurundi
EthnicityHutu, Tutsi, Twa and Ganwa
Native speakers
11,244,750 (2017)[1]
Latin
Official status
Official language in
 Burundi
Language codes
ISO 639-1rn Rundi
ISO 639-2run Rundi
ISO 639-3run Rundi
Glottologrund1242  Rundi
rund1241  Rundi-Kitwa
JD.62[2]
This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA.
PersonUmurundi
PeopleAbarundi
LanguageIkirundi
Countryu Burundi

Kirundi is natively spoken by the Hutu, including Bakiga and other related ethnicities, as well as Tutsi, Twa and Hima among others have adopted the language. Neighbouring dialects of Kirundi are mutually intelligible with Ha, a language spoken in western Tanzania.

Kirundi is one of the languages where Meeussen's rule, a rule describing a certain pattern of tonal change in Bantu languages, is active.

In 2020, the Rundi Academy was established to help standardize and promote Kirundi.[4]

The Kirundi text on the back of the truck warns cyclists not to hold on to it.

Phonology

Consonants

Although the literature on Rundi agrees on 5 vowels, the number of consonants can vary anywhere from 19 to 26 consonants.[5] The table below is compiled from a survey of academic acceptance of Rundi consonants.[6]

Vowels

The table below gives the vowel sounds of Rundi.

Front Back
Close i u
Mid e o
Open a

All five vowels occur in long and short forms. The distinction is phonemic.[7]

Tone

Rundi is a tonal language. There are two essential tones in Rundi: high and low (or H and L). Since Rundi has phonemic distinction on vowel length, when a long vowel changes from a low tone to a high tone it is marked as a rising tone. When a long vowel changes from a high tone to a low tone, it is marked as a falling tone.[8]

Rundi is often used in phonology to illustrate examples of Meeussen's rule[9][10] In addition, it has been proposed that tones can shift by a metrical or rhythmic structure. Some authors have expanded these more complex features of the tonal system noting that such properties are highly unusual for a tone system.[11]

Phonotactics

Syllable structure in Rundi is considered to be CV, that is having no clusters, no coda consonants, and no complex vowel nuclei. It has been proposed that sequences that are CVV in the surface realization are actually CV in the underlying deep structure, with the consonant coalescing with the first vowel.[12]

Consonant harmony

Rundi has been shown to have properties of consonant harmony particularly when it comes to sibilants. Meeussen described this harmony in his essay and it is investigated further by others.[13] One example of this harmony is triggered by /ʃ/ and /ʒ/ and targets the set of /s/ and /z/ in preceding adjacent stem syllables.

Official use

Kirundi was recognized an official language in Burundi by the 1962 Constitution of the Kingdom of Burundi. In accordance with the constitution, many Burundian government orders, especially those printed in the Bulletin Officiel du Burundi from 1962 to 1963, were written in both French and Kirundi. After the constitution was suspended in 1966, Kirundi remained a de facto official language in the county, though its use in government documents declined.[14] In 1972 Kirundi was adopted as the official language of instruction in Burundian primary schools.[15]

Notes

  1. ^ Rundi at Ethnologue (24th ed., 2021)  
  2. ^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009.
  3. ^ Ethnologue, 15th ed.
  4. ^ Rigumye, M. "Longtemps attendue, l'Académie Rundi ouvre sous peu – IWACU". www.iwacu-burundi.org. Retrieved 2021-09-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ Zorc and Nibagwire 2007, p. 23.
  6. ^ Zorc and Nibagwire 2007, p. 25.
  7. ^ Meeussen 1959
  8. ^ de Samie 2009
  9. ^ Myers 1987
  10. ^ Phillipson 2003
  11. ^ Goldsmith & Sabimana 1989
  12. ^ Sagey 1986
  13. ^ Ntihirageza 1993
  14. ^ Verdoodt 2011, p. 515.
  15. ^ Weinstein 1976, p. 89.

References

  • Broselow, E. & Niyondagara, A. (1990) "Feature geometry of Kirundi palatalization". Studies in the Linguistic Sciences 20: 71-88.
  • de Samie. (2009) Dictionnaire Francais-Kirundi. L'Harmattan. Paris.
  • Goldsmith, J. & Sabimana, F. (1989) The Kirundi Verb. Modèles en tonologie. Editions du CNRS. Paris.
  • Meeussen, A.E. (1959) Essai de grammaire Rundi. Annales du Musée Royal du Congo Belge, Série Sciences Humaines – Linguistique, vol. 24. Tervuren.
  • Myers, S. (1987) Tone and the structure of words in Shona. PhD dissertation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Garland Press. New York.
  • Ntihirageza, J. (1993) Kirundi Palatization and Sibilant Harmony : Implications for Feature Geometry. Master thesis, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois.
  • Philippson, G. (2003) Tone reduction vs. metrical attraction in the evolution of Eastern Bantu tone systems. INALCO. Paris.
  • Sagey, E. (1986) The Representation of Features and Relations in Non-Linear Phonology. Doctoral dissertation, MIT, Cambridge, Mass.
  • Verdoodt, A. (2011). "Social and Linguistic Structures of Burundi, a Typical 'Unimodal' Country". Language and Society: Anthropological Issues (reprint ed.). Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 9783110806489.
  • Weinstein, Warren (1976). Historical Dictionary of Burundi. Metuchen: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810809628.
  • Zorc, R. D. & Nibagwire, L. (2007) Kinyarwanda and Kirundi Comparative Grammar. Dunwoody Press. Hyattsville.

External links

  • Online Kirundi/English dictionary, revised
  • Free English-Kirundi Dictionary
  • Free Kirundi selfstudy course
  • Free Kirundi grammar study book
  • (in Spanish)
  • Online Kirundi/English dictionary
  • USA Foreign Service Institute Kirundi basic course

kirundi, also, known, rundi, bantu, language, spoken, some, million, people, burundi, adjacent, parts, rwanda, tanzania, democratic, republic, congo, uganda, well, kenya, official, language, burundi, mutually, intelligible, with, kinyarwanda, official, languag. Kirundi also known as Rundi is a Bantu language spoken by some 9 million people in Burundi and adjacent parts of Rwanda Tanzania the Democratic Republic of the Congo Uganda as well as in Kenya It is the official language of Burundi Kirundi is mutually intelligible with Kinyarwanda an official language of Rwanda and the two form part of the wider dialect continuum known as Rwanda Rundi 3 RundiIkirundiNative toBurundiEthnicityHutu Tutsi Twa and GanwaNative speakers11 244 750 2017 1 Language familyNiger Congo Atlantic CongoVolta CongoBenue CongoBantoidSouthern BantoidBantuNortheast BantuGreat Lakes BantuRwanda Rundi D62 RundiWriting systemLatinOfficial statusOfficial language in BurundiLanguage codesISO 639 1 span class plainlinks rn span RundiISO 639 2 span class plainlinks run span RundiISO 639 3 a href https iso639 3 sil org code run class extiw title iso639 3 run run a RundiGlottologrund1242 Rundirund1241 Rundi KitwaGuthrie codeJD 62 2 This article contains IPA phonetic symbols Without proper rendering support you may see question marks boxes or other symbols instead of Unicode characters For an introductory guide on IPA symbols see Help IPA PersonUmurundiPeopleAbarundiLanguageIkirundiCountryu BurundiKirundi is natively spoken by the Hutu including Bakiga and other related ethnicities as well as Tutsi Twa and Hima among others have adopted the language Neighbouring dialects of Kirundi are mutually intelligible with Ha a language spoken in western Tanzania Kirundi is one of the languages where Meeussen s rule a rule describing a certain pattern of tonal change in Bantu languages is active In 2020 the Rundi Academy was established to help standardize and promote Kirundi 4 The Kirundi text on the back of the truck warns cyclists not to hold on to it Contents 1 Phonology 1 1 Consonants 1 2 Vowels 1 3 Tone 1 4 Phonotactics 1 5 Consonant harmony 2 Official use 3 Notes 4 References 5 External linksPhonology EditSee also Rwanda Rundi Comparison of Kinyarwanda and Kirundi Consonants Edit Although the literature on Rundi agrees on 5 vowels the number of consonants can vary anywhere from 19 to 26 consonants 5 The table below is compiled from a survey of academic acceptance of Rundi consonants 6 Labial Alveolar Post alveolar Palatal Velar GlottalNasal m n ɲ ŋPlosive voiceless p t kvoiced b d ɟ ɡAffricate p f t s t ʃFricative voiceless f s ʃ hvoiced v z ʒApproximant j wFlap ɾTrill rVowels Edit The table below gives the vowel sounds of Rundi Front BackClose i uMid e oOpen aAll five vowels occur in long and short forms The distinction is phonemic 7 Tone Edit Rundi is a tonal language There are two essential tones in Rundi high and low or H and L Since Rundi has phonemic distinction on vowel length when a long vowel changes from a low tone to a high tone it is marked as a rising tone When a long vowel changes from a high tone to a low tone it is marked as a falling tone 8 Rundi is often used in phonology to illustrate examples of Meeussen s rule 9 10 In addition it has been proposed that tones can shift by a metrical or rhythmic structure Some authors have expanded these more complex features of the tonal system noting that such properties are highly unusual for a tone system 11 Phonotactics Edit Syllable structure in Rundi is considered to be CV that is having no clusters no coda consonants and no complex vowel nuclei It has been proposed that sequences that are CVV in the surface realization are actually CV in the underlying deep structure with the consonant coalescing with the first vowel 12 Consonant harmony Edit Rundi has been shown to have properties of consonant harmony particularly when it comes to sibilants Meeussen described this harmony in his essay and it is investigated further by others 13 One example of this harmony is triggered by ʃ and ʒ and targets the set of s and z in preceding adjacent stem syllables Official use EditKirundi was recognized an official language in Burundi by the 1962 Constitution of the Kingdom of Burundi In accordance with the constitution many Burundian government orders especially those printed in the Bulletin Officiel du Burundi from 1962 to 1963 were written in both French and Kirundi After the constitution was suspended in 1966 Kirundi remained a de facto official language in the county though its use in government documents declined 14 In 1972 Kirundi was adopted as the official language of instruction in Burundian primary schools 15 Notes Edit Rundi at Ethnologue 24th ed 2021 Jouni Filip Maho 2009 New Updated Guthrie List Online Ethnologue 15th ed Rigumye M Longtemps attendue l Academie Rundi ouvre sous peu IWACU www iwacu burundi org Retrieved 2021 09 10 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Zorc and Nibagwire 2007 p 23 Zorc and Nibagwire 2007 p 25 Meeussen 1959 de Samie 2009 Myers 1987 Phillipson 2003 Goldsmith amp Sabimana 1989 Sagey 1986 Ntihirageza 1993 Verdoodt 2011 p 515 Weinstein 1976 p 89 References EditBroselow E amp Niyondagara A 1990 Feature geometry of Kirundi palatalization Studies in the Linguistic Sciences 20 71 88 de Samie 2009 Dictionnaire Francais Kirundi L Harmattan Paris Goldsmith J amp Sabimana F 1989 The Kirundi Verb Modeles en tonologie Editions du CNRS Paris Meeussen A E 1959 Essai de grammaire Rundi Annales du Musee Royal du Congo Belge Serie Sciences Humaines Linguistique vol 24 Tervuren Myers S 1987 Tone and the structure of words in Shona PhD dissertation University of Massachusetts Amherst Garland Press New York Ntihirageza J 1993 Kirundi Palatization and Sibilant Harmony Implications for Feature Geometry Master thesis Southern Illinois University Carbondale Illinois Philippson G 2003 Tone reduction vs metrical attraction in the evolution of Eastern Bantu tone systems INALCO Paris Sagey E 1986 The Representation of Features and Relations in Non Linear Phonology Doctoral dissertation MIT Cambridge Mass Verdoodt A 2011 Social and Linguistic Structures of Burundi a Typical Unimodal Country Language and Society Anthropological Issues reprint ed Walter de Gruyter ISBN 9783110806489 Weinstein Warren 1976 Historical Dictionary of Burundi Metuchen Scarecrow Press ISBN 9780810809628 Zorc R D amp Nibagwire L 2007 Kinyarwanda and Kirundi Comparative Grammar Dunwoody Press Hyattsville External links Edit Rundi edition of Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Online Kirundi English dictionary revised Free English Kirundi Dictionary Free Kirundi selfstudy course Free Kirundi grammar study book PanAfrican L10n page on Kirundi Learning Kirundi in Spanish Online Kirundi English dictionary USA Foreign Service Institute Kirundi basic course Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kirundi amp oldid 1122099279, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.