|
== Kikongo ==
==== Languages ====
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
|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.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!IPA
!Letter
!IPA
!Letter
!IPA
!Letter
|-
!m
|m
!n
|n
!ŋ
|ng
|-
!ᵐp
|mp
!ⁿt
|ṭ
!ᵑk
|nq, nk, nc
|-
!ᵐb
|mb
!ⁿd
|ḍ
!k
|q, k, c
|-
!p
|p
!t
|t
!g
|g
|-
!b
|b
!d
|d
!j
|y, i
|-
!ᶬf
|mf
!ⁿs
|ṣ
!i
|i
|-
!ᶬv
|mv
!ⁿz
|ẓ
!u
|u
|-
!f
|f
!s
|s
!e
|e
|-
!v
|v
!z
|z, s
!o
|o
|-
!w
|u
!l
|l
!a
|a
|}
* In order to clarify pronunciation, /buːi/ is often transcribed as ''bu'i'' with an apostrophe, while /bwi/ is transcribed as ''bui'', without one.
* /w/ at the start of a word followed by a vowel is transcribed as ''o'', as in Oembo (/wembo/).
* In the Kisolongo and Kizombo dialects, the sound /v/ is often pronounced /β/ and may be written as ''bh''.
* In eastern Kikongo dialects, ''v'' is often pronounced as /ɣ/.
* In Portuguese and Spanish sources, ''k'' may be spelled ''qu'', reflecting old Castilian orthography.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Comparison of Capuchin (1652) and Mputu (1957) orthographies
!''Vocabularium Congense'' (1652)
!Mputu
!Translation
|-
|''lúfunzulú lua iúma ia úqúissi''
|''lufunzulu lua yuma ya ukisi''
|'tarnishing of the thing of sacredness'
|}
==== Sources ====
| 