North Nyanza languages


The North Nyanza languages are a group of closely related Bantu languages spoken in Central and eastern Uganda.

History

The Proto-North Nyanza homeland was in the northwestern shores of Lake Victoria in the year 500AD. By 1100AD, the descendants of these people were speaking two different languages that had developed out of proto-North Nyanza: early Luganda and proto-South Kyoga. Early Luganda was spoken by those who remained in the original North-Nyanza homeland and to the south, west, and north of it. Proto-South Kyoga was developed by those who migrated east across the Nile. By 1500AD, Proto-South Kyoga split into early Lusoga and proto-East Kyoga. Early Lusoga spread across the region between the Nile and Mpologoma Rivers and Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga. Proto-East Kyoga broke up into Gwere and Syan in the early 19th century.

Classification

North Nyanza is divided into two branches, Luganda and South Kyoga, according to Rhiannon Stephens :
  • North Nyanza
  • *Ganda
  • *Singa
  • *South Kyoga
  • **Soga
  • **East Kyoga
  • ***Gwere
  • ***Syan/Rushana