Kituba | Ethnologue

A language of Democratic Republic of the Congo

ISO 639: ktu
Alternate Names: Kibulamatadi, Kikongo, Kikongo Commercial, Kikongo Simplifié, Kikongo-Kituba, Kikongo-Kutuba, Kileta
Autonym: Kikongo ya leta, Kituba
Population: 5,000,000, all users. L1 users: 4,200,000 (1990 UBS). L2 users: 800,000.
Location:: Kwango and Kwilu provinces.
Language Status: 2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Bas-Congo, Bandundu regions (2006, Constitution, Article 1(8)).
Classification: Creole, Kongo based
Dialects: Ikeleve, Western Kituba, Eastern Kituba. A creole based on the Kikongo dialect spoken in Manianga area (Bas-Congo), but unintelligible to Kikongo speakers of any of the other Kikongo dialects. Influenced by Lingala [lin], French [fra], restructured Swahili [swh], Portuguese [por], and other local dialects. Similar to Kituba [mkw] (Munukutuba) of Congo.
Language Use: Means of communication among various language groups. Used as L2 by Ibali Teke [tek], Iyansi [yns], Mbala [mdp], Ngongo [noq], Phende [pem], Suku [sub], Yaka [yaf].
Language Development: Radio. Videos. Bible: 1990.
Language Resources: OLAC resources in and about Kituba
Writing: Latin script [Latn].

Location: Kwango and Kwilu provinces.