# Lugbara language

Lugbara, or Lugbarati, is the language of the Lugbara people. It is spoken in the West Nile region in northwestern Uganda, as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Orientale Province with a little extension to the South Sudan as the Zande or Azande people.

## Classification and dialects

The Aringa language, also known as Low Lugbara, is closely related, and sometimes considered a dialect of Lugbara. In fact, among the Lugbara of Uganda, it is one of the five clans (Ayivu clan, Vurra clan, Terego clan, Maracha clan, and Aringa clan). Some scholars classify the Lugbara language itself as a dialect of the Ma'di language, though this is not generally accepted. An SIL survey report concluded that the Okollo, Ogoko, and Rigbo dialects, called "Southern Ma'di", should be classified as dialects of Lugbara.

## Phonology
### Vowels

| | Front | Central | Back |
| Close | i | | u |
| Near-close | ɪ | | ʊ |
| Close-mid | ɛ ~ e | | ɔ ~ o |
| Open-mid | ɛ ~ e | (ʌ) | ɔ ~ o |
| Open | | a | |
* /ɛ, ɔ/ can also be heard as [e, o] as a result of vowel harmony.
* /a/ can have an allophone of [ʌ] when after sounds /k, ɡ/.

### Consonants

| | | Labial | Dental | Dental | Alveolar | Postalv./ Palatal | Velar | Labial- velar | Glottal |
| | | Labial | plain | trilled | Alveolar | Postalv./ Palatal | Velar | Labial- velar | Glottal |
| Nasal | Nasal | m | | | n | ɲ | (ŋ) | | |
| Plosive/ Affricate | voiceless | p | t | tʳ | t͡s | (t͡ʃ) | k | k͡p | ʔ |
| Plosive/ Affricate | voiced | b | d | dʳ | d͡z | (d͡ʒ) | ɡ | ɡ͡b | |
| Plosive/ Affricate | prenasal | ᵐb | ⁿd | ⁿdʳ | | | ᵑɡ | ᵑᵐɡ͡b | |
| Plosive/ Affricate | implosive | ɓ | | | ɗ | | | | |
| Fricative | voiceless | f | | | s | | | | h |
| Fricative | voiced | v | | | z | | | | |
| Fricative | prenasal | ᶬv | | | ⁿz | | | | |
| Trill | Trill | | | | r | | | | |
| Tap | Tap | | | | (ɺ) | | | | |
| Approximant | lateral | | | | l | | | | |
| Approximant | plain | | | | | j | | w | |
| Approximant | preglottal | | | | | ˀj | | ˀw | |
* /l/ can be heard as a lateral flap [ɺ] within dialectal variation.
* /t͡s, d͡z/ are heard as [t͡ʃ, d͡ʒ] within dialectal variation.
* /tʳ, dʳ/ can also be heard as retroflex [ʈɽ, ɖɽ] within free variation.
* /ʔj/ can also be heard as an implosive [ʄ] and /ⁿz/ can be heard as [ⁿd͡z], within free variation.
* A labial affricate [p͡f] may occur within dialectal variation, [ŋ] only rarely occurs among different dialects.

## Orthography

Lugbara was first written by Christian missionaries in 1918, based on the Ayivu dialect. In 2000, a conference was held in the city of Arua in northwestern Uganda regarding the creation of a standardised international orthography for Lugbara.

## In education

In 1992, the Government of Uganda designated it as one of five "languages of wider communication" to be used as the medium of instruction in primary education; however, unlike the other four such languages, it was never actually used in schools. More recently it was included in the curriculum for some secondary schools in the West Nile region, including St. Joseph's College Ombaci and Muni Girls Secondary School, both in Arua District.

## Pronunciation guide

Lugbara phrases are spoken in several dialects (clan-wise) but the Muni (Ayivu) version, from which many of the explanations below are based, is the one approved for teaching in schools. The language has diphthong clusters and other noteworthy phonetics including the following:
aa as in bat, for example embataa
c as in church, for example candiru (which is also spelt Chandiru)
dj as in jilt, for example odji, the ‘d’ is silent
ee as in emblem, for example andree
gb as in bend, for example gbe, the ‘g’ is silent. Gb in Lugbara does not have an equivalent in English. What stands out in these Sudanic languages is the special manner in which 'kp, gb, 'd, 'b, 'y, 'w are pronounced.
i as in inn, for example di-i
oa as in oar, for example adroa
oo as in old, for example ocoo, less often oo as in food, for example ‘doo
uu as in chew, for example cuu
z as in jean after n, for example onzi. Otherwise, most times remains z as in zebra, for example ozu and when the first letter of a word.

## Vocabulary

The Simplified Lugbara alphabet has 28 letters minus ‘q’ and ‘x’ (Alamakanda in Aringa language), which means 24 like in English and four unique ones namely: ‘b like in ‘bua, ‘d like in ‘dia, ‘w like in ‘wara and ‘y like in ‘yeta. Letters are pronounced as follows: Ah, Ba, Bha, Cha, Da, Dha, Eh, Fa, Ga, Ha, Ie, Ja, Ka, La, Ma, Na, Oh, Pa, Ra, Sa, Ta, Uw, Va, Wa, Wha, Ya, Yha, and Za.
Also in the vocabulary, there are several words that have varied meanings when pronounced differently, for instance oli can mean air, wind (also oliriko), whistle, cut or roll.

### Numbers

| Number | Translation |
| 0. | Toko/ ogbo |
| 1. | Alu |
| 2. | Iri |
| 3. | Na |
| 4. | Su |
| 5. | Towi/ tawu |
| 6. | Azia |
| 7. | Aziri |
| 8. | Aro |
| 9. | Oromi |
| 10. | Mudri/ modri |
| 11. | Mudri drini alu |
| 12. | Mudri drini iri |
| 13. | Mudri drini na |
| 20. | Kali iri |
| 21. | Kali iri drini alu |
| 22. | Kali iri drini iri |
| 23. | Kali iri drini na |
| 30. | Kali na |
| 40. | Kali su |
| 100. | Turu alu |
| 500. | Turu towi |
| 900. | Turu oromi |
| 1,000. | Alifu alu |
| 1M. | Milioni alu |

### Greetings and other phrases

| Lugbara | English |
| Mi ifu ngoni? | How did you wake up?/ Good morning! |
| (Mi) ngoni? | How (are you)? |
| (Ma) muke! | (I'm) fine! |
| Ma azoru! | I'm sick! |
| Mi aa ngoni? | How did you stay? |
| Ayiko ni ma fu! | Happiness is killing me!/ I'm happy! |
| Abiri ni ma fu(fu)! | Hunger is killing me!/ I'm hungry! |
| Sa(w)a si? | What time is it? |
| Etu alu o’bitisi. | 7:00 a.m. [To tell time, you mention the number on the opposite side of the clock. Etu iri is 8 o’clock, etu na is 9 o’clock, etc.] |
| Etu mudri drini alu | 5:00 p.m. |
| Mi efi! | Come in! |
| Ife mani yi! | Give me water! |
| Kirikiri! | Please! |
| Ada! | True! |
| Inzo! | Lies! |
| Iko ma aza! | Help me! |
| Ine! | See! |
| Mi a'bua ozi si? | How much do you sell bananas? |
| Ajeni si? | How much [is the price]? |
| A le Obangulu! | I want mashed whiteants! |
| Ma mu Gili Gili-a ngoni? | How do I get to Gili Gili? |
| Arojo ngoa? | Where is the drugshop/clinic/hospital? |
| Mi ru a'di-i? | What is your name? |
| Ma ru Yoweli-i! | I'm called Joel! |
| Mi omve ma Letasi! | You call me Letasi! |
| Awa’di fo! | Thanks! |
| A le mi! | I love you!/I need you!/I want you! |
| Ma enga Ediofe-a. | I'm from Ediofe. |
| Ma mu kanisa-a. | I'm going to church. |
| Mi ma agi! | You are my friend! |
| Ma mu Ariwara-a ngoni? | How do I get to Ariwara? |
| Masikiti ngoa? | Where is the mosque? |
| Mi ma ji Ragemu-a ra? | Can you take me to Ragem? |
| Iji ma Ringili-a! | Take me to Ringili! |
| 'Ba mucele ozi ngoa? | Where is rice sold? |
| Aje/ andru/ drusi/ drozi | Yesterday/ today/ tomorrow/ the day after tomorrow |
| Ila muke! | Sleep well! |
| A le ra! | I do want! [The word 'ra' after a verb denotes positivity.] |
| A le ku! | I don't want! [The word 'ku' after a verb denotes negativity.] |

### Relationships

Grandfather (a’bi, a'bipi)
Grandmother (dede, e'di, edapi)
Grandson (mvia)
Granddaughter (zia)
Father (ati, ata)
Mother (andri, andre, ayia)
Husband (agupi)
Wife (oku)
Son (agupiamva, mvi)
Daughter (zamva, zi)
Brother (adri)
Sister (amvi)
Uncles (atapuru (singular -paternal) atapuruka (plural - paternal), [maternal - adroyi (singular), maternal (plural) - adropi]
Aunts (andrapuruka - plural: paternal and in some cases maternal), (andrapuru: singular), awupi - (singular: maternal aunt), awupika - (plural: maternal aunts)
Cousin (atapurumva)
Cousin brother (atapuruka anzi); also adri, adripika
Cousin sister (atapuruka ezopi); also amvi, amvupika
NB: Strictly speaking, the word cousin is alien in Lugbara culture. Cousins are brothers and sisters.
Nephews (adro anzi) - maternal nephews
Nieces (adro ezoanzi, ezapi) - maternal nieces
Father-in-law (anya)
Mother-in-law (edra)
Brother-in-law (otuo)
Sister-in-law (onyere)

### Days of the week

1 week (Sabatu alu, sabiti alu)
A day is called O’du in Lugbara.
Sunday (Sabatu, sabiti, yinga, yumula)
Monday (O’du alu)
Tuesday (O’du iri)
Wednesday (O’du na)
Thursday (O’du su)
Friday (O’du towi)
Saturday (O’du azia)

### Calendar

The simplest way to refer to months (Mba in Lugbara) is to use numbers, for example January is Mba Alu, February is Mba Iri, May is Mba Towi and so on. But below is the other Latinized (and seasonal) way of mentioning them.
Januari/Oco ‘dupa sere (January)
Feburili/ Kuluni (February)
Marici/ Zengulu (March)
Aprili/ Ayi - Wet season (April)
Mayi/ Ayi Eti (May)
Juni/ Emveki (June)
Julayi/ Eri (July)
Agoslo/ Iripaku (August)
Sebitemba/ Lokopere (September)
Okitoba/ Abibi (October)
Novemba/ Waa (November)
Desemba/ Anyu fi kuma (December)

### Common signs

| Lugbara | English |
| Agupi | Men |
| Oku | Women |

### Colours

Eka (Ika by Terego) (red)
Foro foro (gray)
Foroto (grayish)
Imve (white)
Imve silili, imve whilili, imve sisirili (very pure white)
Imvesi-enisi (black and white)
Ini (black)
Inibiricici, inicici, inikukuru (very dark)

## Food

| Lugbara | English |
| Mucele | Rice |
| Fun(y)o | Groundnut |
| Gbanda/ Ola | Cassava |
| Osu | Bean, Kaiko in Terego dialect |
| Burusu/ Buruso | Guinea pea |
| Kaka | Maize |
| Ago | Pumpkin |
| Anyu | Simsim |
| Ondu | Sorghum |
| Maaku | Potato |
| (M)ayu(ni) | Yam |
| Onya | Whiteant |
| Ope | Guinea fowl |
| Au | Chicken |
| Eza | Meat |
| Ti eza | Cow meat |
| Ndri eza | Goat meat |
| E’bi | Fish |
| Kawa | Coffee |
| Majani | Tea |
| I'di | Porridge |
| Kpete | Beer |
| Mbasala | Onion |
| Nyanya | Tomato |
| Cikiri/ Osu nyiri | Chick pea |

## Lugbara AI

Lugbara AI refers to Artificial Intelligence technology or machines that use Lugbara. The Sunbird Translate system can automatically take text from Lugbara. It includes locally relevant topics such as healthcare, agriculture and society. With its partners including Makerere University AI Lab, Sunbird AI (a Ugandan startup) has built open Lugbara datasets, translation and speech systems. It is also used by banks.
Furthermore, other developers are also working on projects.