Komo

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A language of Democratic Republic of the Congo

ISO 639-3
kmw
Alternate Names
Kikomo, Kikumo, Kikumu, Kikuumu, Kumo, Kumu, Kuumu
Population

400,000 (1998 SIL).

Location

Maniema Province, Lubutu and Punia territories; Nord-Kivu Province, Walikale; Orientale Province, Opienge territory. Lubutu is center.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, D, Lega-Holoholo (D.23)
Dialects

No identified dialects, but speech varieties have the following differences: up to 10% lexical differences, in comparison with the reference lexicon as found in Lubutu. Most noticeable phonological variation: lambdacism. Most noticeable relational word variation: shape of the alienable possession marker. Lexical similarity: 80% with Bhele [bhy], 70% with Bila [bip], 58% with Bera [brf], 48% with Bwa [bww], 46% with Bali [bcp], Lika [lik], and Pagibete [pae], 30% with Lingala [lin], Lega-Shabunda [lea], and Budu [buu].

Typology

SVO; prepositions; noun head followed by genitive and relative clause; question word initial; 7 prefixes; 4 suffixes; word order distinguishes subject, object, indirect object; human-animate-inanimate contrast in plural and adjective agreement (no Bantu concord); verb affixes obligatorily mark person and number of subject and object; some ergativity in gerund phrase; middle, stative, unaccusative marked by suffix; causatives marked by suffix; comparisons; CV, V, Nasal CV, CV Nasal, Nasal; tonal.

Language Use

All ages except in population centers where L1 is Congo Swahili, and then it is 7 and older for boys. Also use Congo Swahili [swc], Lingala [lin]. Those around Kisangani are more likely to know Lingala [lin] than Congo Swahili [swc] (more than 10% of the men). Used as L2 by Lengola [lej].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 1%. Literacy rate in L2: 50% older men (born before 1970), 30% younger men, less than 10% women. Poetry. Bible portions: 1991–1998.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Komo
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Christian, Muslim, traditional religion.