Kamba - Kikamba
< Kalenjin | Major Languages | Kanuri >
Categories: Languages, Kenya
On this page... (hide)
- 1. Classification / Classification
- 2. Where Spoken / Localisation géographique
- 3. Number of Speakers / Nombre de locuteurs
- 4. Dialect Survey / Enquête de dialecte
- 5. Usage / Utilisation
- 6. Orthography / Orthographe
- 7. Use in ICT / Utilisation dans les TIC
- 8. Localisation resources / Ressources pour localisation
- 9. Comments / Remarques
- 10. References / Références
1. Classification / Classification
Kamba belongs to the Central-Kenya Group of Bantu (Guthrie E55). (Webbook?)
Ethnologue? lists the classification as: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, E, Kikuyu-Kamba (E.20)
2. Where Spoken / Localisation géographique
It is spoken in an area southwest of Nairobi, Kenya. (Webbook)
3. Number of Speakers / Nombre de locuteurs
According to Ethnologue:
- 2,448,300 (1989 census).
- 600,000 second-language speakers
4. Dialect Survey / Enquête de dialecte
Heine (1980) states that Kamba is a four-dialect cluster. (Webbook)
According to Ethnologue the four dialects are:
- Masaku
- South Kitui
- North Kitui
- Mumoni
Lexical similarity 67% with Gikuyu, 66% with Embu, 63% with Chuka, 57% to 59% with Meru.
5. Usage / Utilisation
Kamba is a major language in Kenya and is broadcast over the Voice of Kenya. (Webbook)
Literacy rate (according to Ethnologue, accessed 2007):
- L1: below 1%
- L2: 25% to 50%
6. Orthography / Orthographe
6.1 Status / Statut
The orthography status of Kamba is unknown as of this writing. (Webbook) [needs updating]
It is Latin-based, and from the samples in 6.2, below, apparently uses some diacritics.
6.2 Sample Alphabet / Alphabet exemple
Samples on the "Language museum" site:
- Kamba http://www.language-museum.com/k/kamba.htm
- Kamba Masaku http://www.language-museum.com/k/kamba-masaku.htm
7. Use in ICT / Utilisation dans les TIC
7.1 Fonts / Polices
7.2 Keyboard layouts / Dispositions de clavier
7.3 Content on computers & internet / Contenu en informatique et sur l'Internet
7.4 Localized software / Logiciels localisés
None known of.
7.5 Language codes / Codes de langue
- ISO 639-1: -
- ISO 639-2: kam
- ISO 639-3: kam
7.6 Locales / Paramètres régionaux
Locale data was submitted for this language in March 2006, for OpenOffice and CLDR.
CLDR:
- http://www.unicode.org/cldr/data/charts/summary/kam.html
- http://unicode.org/cldr/apps/survey?s=iDoVv.HVCp3e51Fx2CPhz7DmRSQ,&_=kam
7.7 Other / Autre
8. Localisation resources / Ressources pour localisation
8.1 Individuals (experts) / Individuelles (experts)
8.2 Institutions / Institutions
8.3 On the internet / Sur la toile
9. Comments / Remarques
Would it be possible for a localisation strategy to treat Kamba and the several languages that are closely related as a group? (see #4 above)
10. References / Références
Dwyer, David (1997), Webbook of African Languages, http://africa.isp.msu.edu/afrlang/hiermenu.html (page on "Kamba," http://africa.isp.msu.edu/afrlang/Kamba_root.html )
SIL International, Ethnologue: Languages of the World, "Kamba," http://www.ethnologue.com/language/kam
SIL International, "ISO 639 Code Tables," http://www-01.sil.org/iso639-3/codes.asp
U.S. Library of Congress, "ISO 639.2: Codes for the Representation of Names of Languages: Alpha-3 codes arranged alphabetically by the English name of language," http://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/English_list.php
Wikipedia, "Kamba language," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamba_language
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