Western Lakes Bantu languages
The Western Lakes Bantu languages form a subgroup of the Great Lakes Bantu languages spoken in Rwanda, Burundi the DRC, Uganda and Tanzania.
Classification
The Western Lakes Bantu languages are classified within the Glottolog database as follows:- Kabwari
- Kivu
- *Forest Kivu
- **Fuliiric
- ***Fuliiru-Vira
- ****Fuliiru
- ****Vira
- ***Nyindu
- ***Nyindu
- **Hunde-Havu
- ***Havu
- ***Hunde
- **Shi
- **Tembo
- *West Highlands Kivu
- **Kinyarwanda
- **Rundic
- ***Ha
- ***Hangaza-Shubi
- ****Hangaza
- ****Shubi
- ***Kirundi
- **Kitwa
- **Vinza
- Rwenzori
- *Konzo
- *Nande
History
Proto-Western Lakes Bantu was developed in 400 AD by those who remained in the original Proto-Great Lakes Bantu homeland, which was in and on the hillsides of the Kivu Rift Valley.Similar to the Okiek people in Kenya, the Great Lakes Twa played important roles as "outsiders" in the ritual and oral historiographic life of Western Lakes Bantu speaking societies.