Native to Angola Native speakers 4 million (2012) | Ethnicity Ambundu | |
Region Luanda Province, Bengo Province , Malanje Province Language family Niger–Congo
Atlantic–Congo
Benue–Congo
Southern Bantoid
Bantu (Zone H)
Kimbundu languages (H.20)
Kimbundu Dialects Kimbundu proper (Ngola)
Mbamba (Njinga) | ||
Kimbundu, or North Mbundu, one of two Bantu languages called Mbundu (see Umbundu), is the second-most-widely spoken Bantu language in Angola. It is concentrated in the north-west of the country, notably in the Luanda Province, Bengo Province, Malanje Province and the Cuanza Norte Province. It is spoken by the Ambundu.
Phonology
Consonants
Vowels
If the i or u comes before another vowel, they are pronounced as /y/ and /w/ (ex: iiii {yee-yee}, uiua {wee-wah}). Within double vowels, each vowel is pronounced individually, unlike a diphthong. Accents include the acute /á/, grave /à/, and circumflex /â/. At the end of a word, the accent rests on the first vowel (ex: rikau, sai {rikáu, sái}). In the middle of a word, the second vowel has the accent (ex: bauka, sai-ku {kubaúka, saí-ku}).