Teso

Print

A language of Uganda

ISO 639-3
teo
Alternate Names
Ateso, Bakedi, Bakidi, Elgumi, Etossio, Ikumama, Wamia
Population

1,570,000 in Uganda (2002 census), increasing. Population total all countries: 1,909,000.

Location

East, Kumi, Ngora, Soroti, Serere, Bukedea, Amuria, Katakwi, Kaberamaido, Pallisa, and Tororo districts. Also in Kenya.

Language Maps
Language Status

4 (Educational). De facto language of provincial identity in Tororo, 10 other districts.

Classification
Nilo-Saharan, Eastern Sudanic, Nilotic, Eastern, Lotuxo-Teso, Teso-Turkana, Teso
Dialects

Orom (Rom). Limited intelligibility with other varieties in the Teso-Turkana group. The dialect in Ngora is considered standard. Lexical similarity: 76% with Turkana [tuv], 75% with Ng’aKarimojong [kdj].

Typology

VSO; highly inflectional; grammatical tone; vowel harmony

Language Use

Vigorous. Home, market, work. All ages. Positive attitudes.

Language Development
Literacy campaign in progress (2012). Taught in primary schools. Taught in secondary schools, as a subject. Poetry. Newspapers. Radio programs. Films. Dictionary. Bible: 1961.
Writing
Latin script, used since 1930.
Other Comments

Ethnonym: Iteso. Christian, Muslim.

Also spoken in:

Expand All Collapse All