Yaka (Yiyáká)

Yaka is a Bantu language spoken by about 900,000 people mainly in the southwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and northern Angola. In the DRC, Yaka is spoken particularly in Kwango Province between the Kwango and Wamba rivers.

Yaka is also known as Iyaka, Iaca or Kiyaka. Yaka speakers call their language Yiyáká. There are two dialects: Yaka proper and Ngoongo. It is written with the Latin alphabet, and there is a translation of the Bible in the language.

Yaka alphabet and pronunciation

Yaka alphabet and pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for Yaka (Excel)
Details of Yaka alphabet and pronunciation provided by Wolfram Siegel (PDF)

Notes

Consonants followed by w are labialized, e.g. kw [kʷ], and consonants followed by y are palatalized. e.g. by [bʲ].

Sample text

  1. Yandi wábazimbwala: «Tangwa lubati lombila, zimbulakenu bwabu»: "Tata, khumbu yaku batomisaya; Kipfumu kyaku kyisa.
  2. Tuheka, lelu, madya metu ma kosu kilumbu.
  3. Tulolula mitsoki myetu, mukuma betu phi, tuloludi kwena batu boosu bana bisi tukota mitsoki. Amana tusadisa ndangu tubwaku mu phukumunu."

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/3951/LUK.11.YAF

Translation

  1. 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.
  2. Give us day by day our daily bread.
  3. 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.
    The Lord's Prayer - Luke 11: 2-4

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

Sample video in Yaka

Links

Information about Yaka
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaka_language_(Congo-Angola)
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiyaka
https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/yaka1269
https://vdoc.pub/documents/lexique-yaka-francais-francais-yaka-2mc2uvoehlkg
https://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/yaka.html
https://www.webonary.org/yaka/overview/introduction/

Bantu languages

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

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 10.04.25. Last modified: 10.04.25

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