Hehe (Kihehe)

Hehe is a member of the Northeast Bantu group of Niger-Congo languages. It is spoken by about 810,000 people mainly in the in the districts of Kilolo, Iringa Rural and Mufindi in the Iringa region in southern Tanzania. It is spoken mainly by adults, while younger Hehe people are shifting to Swahili. As a result, the language is considerd endangered.

Hehe is known as Kihehe [kihehe] by the Hehe speakers. It was first documented in the late 19th century, and is written with the Latin alphabet. There is a Hehe translation of the New Testament of the Bible.

Hehe alphabet and pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for Hehe (Excel)

Sample text (The Lord's Prayer - Luke 11: 2-4)

Swe Yesu akuvalongela, “Pemukwifunya mutigilage: ‘Ve Dadetu ye Ulikuchanya! Ilitawa lyako lyeswagwe; Uwutwa wako wusage. Uwende wako wupigikage kuchanya Ndawe wewipigika mung'i.
Utupelage mbepali ichakulya chetu, ikikwilaniche ni kimunyi.
Na utudegepelage inzanangifu setu, Pakuva hwehwe nahwe twakumudegepela yeyeatwananje; Na ulatuvika mukugelwa.’”

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1815/LUK.11.HENT2004

You can hear this text and the rest of Luke 11 at
https://www.bible.com/audio-bible/1815/LUK.11.HENT2004

Translation

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.11.KJV

Sample video

Links

Information about Hehe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hehe_language
https://lughayangu.com/post/common-hehe-phrases
http://www.language-archives.org/language/heh
Reviving Endangered Languages: Exploring AI Technologies for the Preservation of Tanzania's Hehe Language

Bantu languages

Bangi, Basaa, Bemba, Bena, Benga, Bhaca, Bukusu, Bulu, Central Teke, Chichewa, Chokwe, Chuwabu, Comorian, Digo, Duala, Eton, Ewondo, Fang, Ganda/Luganda, Gogo, Gusii, Gwere, Haya, Hehe, Herero, Ibinda, Ikizu, Jita, Kamba, Kiga, Kikuyu, Kimbundu, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kisi, Kongo, Konjo, Koti, Kukuya, Kunda, Kuria, Lambya, Lingala, Loma, Lozi, Luba-Katanga, Luchazi, Lunda, Luvale, Makaa, Makonde, Makhuwa, Mandekan, Maore, Masaaba, Mbukushu, Mbunda, Mende, Mongo, Mushungulu, Mwani, Nambya, Nande, Nkore, North Teke, Northern Ndebele (South Africa), Northern Ndebele (Zimbabwe), Northern Sotho, Nyamwezi, Nyakyusa, Nyemba, Nyole, Nyungwe, Nzadi, Oroko, OshiWambo, Pagibete, Punu, Ronga, Safwa, Sena, Sengele, Shona, Soga, Songe, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Sukuma, Swahili, Swati, Tanga, Tembo, Tonga, Tshiluba, Tsonga, Tswa, Tswana, Tumbuka, Umbundu, Venda, Vwanji, Xhosa, Yao, Yasa, Zigula, Zinza, Zulu

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 19.08.24. Last modified: 19.08.24

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