Talk:List of languages: Difference between revisions
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Most Kongolese speak Kikongo, a continuum of closely related dialects. Within the Kingdom, most speak southern and eastern varieties of Kikongo, principally including the main dialects of Kisikongo, Kisolongo, Kizombo, and Kiṭandu.
{| class="wikitable"
!Dialect/language
!Classification
!Geographic reach
|-
!Kisikongo
| rowspan="3" |Southern Kikongo
|West of the Inkisi river and in metropolitan areas
|-
!Kisolongo
|Soyo province and northern Mbamba
|-
!Kizombo
|East of the Inkisi river
|-
!Kiṭandu
|Eastern Kikongo
|Eastern Ṣundi, Mpundu, and Ocango
|}
The official language of the Kongo is Kisikongo (colloquially known as Sansala), a Kikongo dialect spoken in Mpemba province. Kisikongo and its ancestor have functioned as the court language of the Kingdom since at least the 15th century.
===== <big>Orthography</big> =====
The present Mputu orthography system for Kikongo was created in the 1920s, inspired by a mass movement in African nations (particularly [[Manden]]) to reform their Latin orthographies. It was recognized by the Kingdom of Kongo in 1939 and became official in 1957.
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