Nkore (Runyankore)

Nkore is a Bantu language with about 2.3 million speakers in the south west of Uganda, mainly in the Mbarara, Bushenyi, Ntungamo, Kiruhura, Ibanda, Isingiro, and Rukungiri districts. There are also Nkore speakers in parts of Tanzania, Congo, Burundi and Rwanda.

Nkore is also known as Nyankore, Nyankole, Nkole, Orunyankore, Orunyankole, Runyankore or Runyankole, and is spoken mainly by the Nkore (Banyankore) and Hima peoples.

Nkore was documented by Charles Taylor, an Australian linguist, in the 1950s. He produced a description, teaching guide and dictionary. Nkore is closely related to Kiga and Taylor classifies the two languages as one: Nkore-Kiga.

Nkore alphabet and pronunciation

Notes

d occurs after n in native Nkore words. In some foreign loanwords it appears on its own
g = [g] before a, e, o, u or w, and [ʤ] before i or y.
k = [k] before a, e, o, u or w, and [x] before i or y.
p occurs after m in native Nkore words. In some foreign loanwords it appears on its own

Sample text

Abantu nibazaarwa baine obugabe nobushoborozi ebiri kwingana nibahangwa baine obwengye kandi barikubasa kwahura ekirungi nekibi, nahabwekyo abantu bashemereire kutuura kumwe nkabanya Uganda.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Information about Nkore | Phrases | | Numbers | Tower of Babel

Links

Information about the Nkore language
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nkore_language
http://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/nyn
http://www.western-uganda.net/learn_runyankole.html

Nkore lessons
http://www.ugandalodge.com/ugandan_resources/runyankole.pdf

Nkore phrases
http://www.western-uganda.net/basic_runyankole.html
http://www.ugandalodge.com/ugandan_resources/runyankole.pdf

Bantu languages

Bangi, Basaa, Bemba, Bena, Benga, Bhaca, Bube, Bukusu, Bulu, Central Teke, Chichewa, Chokwe, Chuwabu, Comorian, Digo, Duala, Eton, Ewondo, Fang, Ganda/Luganda, Gogo, Gusii, Gwere, Haya, Hehe, Herero, Ibinda, Ikizu, Ikoma, Jita, Kamba, Kiga, Kikuyu, Kimbundu, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kisi, Kogo, 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, Ngoni, 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 last modified: 26.08.24

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