Ethnologue.com home

Ethnologue: Languages of the World
16th edition

Ethnologue: Languages of the World
US$ 100.00
Add to cart

Preview print edition

Most Recent
SIL Publications
Reduced Price SIL Publications


ABOUT SSL CERTIFICATES
Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Africa > Uganda > Saamia

Saamia

A language of Uganda

ISO 639-3: lsm

Population  335,000 in Uganda (2002 census). 279,972 Basaamia and 75,257 Bagwe (2002 census).
Region  East, Busia District, Kenya border, Lake Victoria is south border. Also in Kenya.
Language map  Uganda, reference number 30
Alternate names   Luhya, Luluyia, Luyia
Dialects  Saamia (Samia), Songa, Gwe (Lugwe). Lexical similarity: 88% between the Gwe and Saamia dialects.
Classification  Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, J, Masaba-Luyia (J.30)
A member of macrolanguage Oluluyia [luy] (Kenya).
Language use  Vigorous. Home, religion. All ages. Positive attitude. Also use Ganda [lug], English, or Swahili [swh].
Language development  Mother-tongue literacy is generally not taught in schools because of a lack of materials in Lusaamia-Lugwe. Functional Adult Literacy was in progress but has come to a halt. Trilingual primary schools include English as well. Bible portions: 1904–1968.
Writing system  Latin script.
Comments  The people are called ‘Abaluyia’, singular ‘Muluyia’. In Uganda, people are called Saamia or Basaamia, Bagwe, or Basaamia-Bagwe. Most common is Basaamia. Called Luyia only in Kenya. Agriculturalists: maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, beans, sorghum, bananas, millet, rice, cotton, ginger, sunflower, coffee, some vanilla. Fishermen on Lake Victoria. Christian, traditional religion.

Also spoken in:

Kenya

Language name   Olusamia
Language map  Kenya, reference number 40
Language use  All domains. Also use Kiswahili [swh], English or other Oluluyia varieties [luy].
Language development  Taught in primary schools.