Ganda

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A language of Uganda

ISO 639-3
lug
Alternate Names
Luganda
Population

4,130,000 (2002 census), increasing.

Location

Southeast, primarily Buganda province, Lake Victoria northwest shore to Lake Kyoga and Tanzania border.

Language Maps
Language Status

1 (National). De facto national language.

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, J, Nyoro-Ganda (E.15)
Dialects

Diopa (Ludiopa), Kooki (Olukooki), Sese (Olusese), Vuma (Luvuma). Lexical similarity: 71%–86% with Soga [xog], 68% with Gwere [gwr].

Typology

SVO

Language Use

Most widely spoken L2 in Uganda next to English. 1,000,000 L2 speakers (Wiesenfeld 1999). Used in primary schools and churches especially in the south. Kooki dialect may be extinct. Home, work, church. All ages. Positive attitudes.

Language Development
Used also in tertiary institutions. Taught in primary and secondary schools. Poetry. Magazines. Newspapers. New media. Radio programs. Films. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1896–2006.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Ganda
Writing
Latin script, used since 1947.
Other Comments

Vuma dialect is moribund. Christian, Muslim.