View source for Kaonde language

{{Short description|Bantu language spoken in Central Africa}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Cleanup|date=June 2011}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2018}}
}}

{{Infobox language
|name=Kaonde
|nativename=Kiikaonde
|states=[[Zambia]], [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] where it is predominantly known as Kiluba
|speakers=240,000
|date=1995–2010 census
|ref=e18
|familycolor=Niger-Congo
|fam2=[[Atlantic–Congo languages|Atlantic–Congo]]
|fam3=[[Benue–Congo languages|Benue–Congo]]
|fam4=[[Southern Bantoid languages|Southern Bantoid]]
|fam5=[[Bantu languages|Bantu]]
|fam6=[[Luban languages|Luban]]
|fam7=[[Luba languages]]
|minority=[[Zambia]]
|script=[[Latin script|Latin]] (Kaonde alphabet)<br>[[Kaonde Braille]]
|iso3=kqn
|glotto=kaon1241
|glottorefname=Kaonde
|guthrie=L.40 (L.41)
}}

'''Kaonde''' (natively called ''kiiKaonde'') is a [[Bantu language]] spoken primarily in [[Zambia]]. Kaonde and its dialects are spoken by over 350,000 people. 

==Speakers==
Kaonde speakers mainly live in the Northwestern and parts of Central regions of Zambia. In Zambia, the Kaonde people are found in Solwezi, Mufumbwe, Kasempa, Kalumbila and Mushindamo.

The term "Kaonde" refers to a group of people who are identified by a common language known as kiiKaonde. The  Kaonde, like many other tribes in Zambia, were originally part of the Luba Kingdom. They migrated south to the area surrounding a river called the Kaonde, which is in the [[Congo Basin]]. From there, they migrated into what is now Northwestern Zambia. Native speakers refer to the language as kiiKaonde. Speakers of most other Bantu languages use the prefix "chi" rather than "kii".

Kaondes are ruled by the traditional leaders. Some of the Kaonde chiefs are: Chief Kapiji Kasongo, Chief Kizela, Chief Kasempa, and Chief Mpanga.

== Grammar ==
=== Nouns ===
Like other Bantu languages, Kaonde nouns are grouped into several [[semantic]] classes (for example: people, insects, or abstract concepts). The class to which a noun belongs determines its agreement with verbs and determiners (including adjectives, possessive pronouns, and number), and other parts of speech.
When any singular class is made plural, it changes prefixes. The plural of a mu- class noun will always be a ba- class noun. (For example: “muntu”, which means “person”, pluralizes to “bantu”, which means “people”. The word “bantu” commands the agreement “ba” — for example: “Bantu balaala” — “the people are sleeping”, while the singular form commands the “u” agreement: “muntu walaala”. 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Singular noun !! Singular concord !! Plural noun !! Plural concord
|-
| mu (person) || u- || ba || ba-
|-
| mu (thing) || u - || mi- || i-
|-
| ki || ki- || bi || bi- 
|-
| ka || ka- || tu || tu-
|-
| n || i- || ma || a-
|-
| lu || lu- || ma || a-
|-
| bu || bu- || ma || a-
|-
| ji || ji- || ma || a-
|-
| pa (locative "on")|| pa- || none || none
|-
| ku (locative "at" or "to")|| ku- || none || none
|-
| mu (locative "in") || mu- || none || none
|}

Not all nouns begin with the same letters as their class prefix, but any noun’s class can be determined by the agreements it commands. For example, “nzolo” (chicken) is a mu- class noun despite beginning with the initial nasal characteristic of the n- class which commands the agreement “i” or “ya”. “Nzolo” is not an n- class noun, because it commands “u” and “wa” agreements, as in: “nzolo walaala” — “the chicken is sleeping”.

=== Pronouns ===
Kaonde has personal, demonstrative and relative pronouns. The first and second person pronouns are independent of the noun class system. Third person pronouns are formed using the demonstrative pronouns for the ba noun class. Demonstrative are arranged by noun class and by [[deixis]].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!  !! Singular !! Plural/Formal
|-
! 1st person
| amiwa || atweba
|-
! 2nd person
| obewa || anweba
|-
! 3rd person
| awe/ao/awa || abe/abo/aba
|}
Sample text in Kaonde

''Mu byambo byanji byalamata bantu bonse, Lesa waambile ne byambo bikwabo pa byo anemeka bumi ne mashi''.

Translation

In a declaration applying to all humans, God revealed more about his evaluation of life and blood

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.language-museum.com/encyclopedia/k/kaonde.htm A sample paragraph in Kaonde]
*{{UDHR|kqn|Kaonde}}
*Lubuto Libraries, ''{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150621183042/http://lubutocollections.org/items/show/67 Kiikaonde Reading Lessons]}},'' Lubuto Library Special Collections, accessed May 3, 2014.
*{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20140511162813/http://lubutocollections.org/items/browse?search=Kiikaonde&submit_search=Search Kiikaonde language stories]}}, Lubuto Library Special Collections
*[http://www.language-archives.org/language/kqn OLAC resources in and about the Kaonde language]
*[https://theswissbay.ch/pdf/Books/Linguistics/Mega%20linguistics%20pack/African/Niger-Congo/Bantu/Kaonde%3B%20An%20Outline%20of%20Kikaonde%20Grammar%20%28Wright%29.pdf J.L. Wright’s Outline of Kikaonde Grammar]

{{Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo}}
{{Languages of Zambia}}
{{Narrow Bantu languages (Zones J–M)}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Luban languages]]
[[Category:Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
[[Category:Languages of Zambia]]
[[Category:Library of Congress Africa Collection related]]