Luo
Lists: Natural languages | Language families | Conlangs | Other Lists
Fact corner
- Language: Luo
- Alternate names: Dholuo, Nilotic Kavirondo, Kavirondo Luo
- SIL-code: Ethnologue:luo
- Language family: Nilo-Saharan, Eastern Sudanic, Nilotic, Western, Luo, Southern, Luo-Acholi, Luo
- Number of speakers: 3,185,000
- Script: Latin script
On this page... (hide)
Introduction
Luo is a Nilo-Saharan language spoken in Nyanza Province, Kenya. It's also spoken in Tanzania.
It belongs to the Luo grouping within the Western Nilotic grouping of the Nilo-Saharan language family. It is spoken by the Luo people of Kenya and Tanzania, numbering about 3 million, who occupy parts of the eastern shore of Lake Victoria and areas south of there.
Luo is closely related to Lango, Acholi and Dhopadhola of Uganda. It is not to be confused with the fellow Western Nilotic language Luwo (spoken in Sudan); in addition, both of the aforementioned languages Lango and Acholi have the alternative names Lwo or Lwoo.
The verb
Sample verb: ndiko
A F F I R M A T I V E | Future | Perfect tense/aspect | Present subjunctive | Present optative | Conditional | Jussive | Past perfect/pluperfect | Past subjunctive | |
| Sg.1 | abondiko | asendiko | onegandik | dipopandiko | dandiko | andik! | nasendiko | nonegandik | |
| Sg.2 | ibondiko | isendiko | onegindik | dipopindiko | dindiko | indik! | nisendiko | nonegindik | |
| Sg.3 | obondiko | osendiko | onegondik | dipopondiko | dondiko | ondik! | nosendiko | nonegondik | |
| Pl.1 | wabondiko | wasendiko | onegowandik | dipopwandiko | dewandiko | wandik! | newasendiko | nonegowandik | |
| Pl.2 | ubondiko | usendiko | onegundik | dipopundiko | deundiko | undik! | neusendiko | nonegoundik | |
| Pl.3 | gibondiko | gisendiko | onegogindik | dipopgindiko | degindiko | gindik! | negisendiko | nonegogindik | |
N E G A T I V E | Future | Past | Imperative/Jussive | ||||||
| Sg.1 | okabendiko | nokandiko | kikandik | ||||||
| Sg.2 | okibendiko | nokindiko | kikindik | ||||||
| Sg.3 | okobendiko | nokondiko | kikondik | ||||||
| Pl.1 | okwabendiko | nokwandiko | kikwandik | ||||||
| Pl.2 | okubendiko | nokundiko | kikundik | ||||||
| Pl.3 | ok'gibendiko | nok'gindiko | kik'gindik | ||||||