Tshiluba is a member of the Bantu language family spoken by about six million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it is one of the national languages along with Lingála, Kiswahili and Kikongo. It is spoken mainly in Western and Eastern Kasai. Other names for the language include Cilubà, Luba, Luba-Kasai and Luba-Lulua.
The Tshiluba word, Ilunga, is apparently the world's most difficult word to translate, according to this article. It means "a person who is ready to forgive any abuse for the first time, to tolerate it a second time, but never a third time".
Q, r and x are also used, but only in loanwords and in foreign names.
Details of Tshiluba pronunciation provided by Michael Peter Füstumum
Bantu bonsu badi baledibwa badikadile ne badi ne makokeshi amwe. Badi ne lungenyi lwa bumuntu ne kondo ka moyo, badi ne bwa kwenzelangana malu mu buwetu.
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 Tshiluba languages
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tshiluba_language
http://africanlanguages.com/ciluba/
http://wals.info/languoid/lect/wals_code_cil
Ciluba Livre du formateur (Ciluba Teacher's Manual)
http://tiny.cc/yj6ti
Cilubà - French Dictionary
http://www.ciyem.ugent.be
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Languages written with the Latin alphabet
Page last modified: 19.09.23
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