lug ISO 639
Luganda Autonyms
Ganda
Visualizations
A language of Uganda
- ISO 639
- lug
- Alternate Names
- Baganda, LùGáànda, luGanda
- Autonym
- Luganda
- Population
- 10,950,000 in Uganda, all users. L1 users: 5,560,000 in Uganda (2014 census), increasing. Census based on tribal affiliation. L2 users: 5,390,000 (2014 R. Nzogi). Total users in all countries: 11,004,750 (as L1: 5,614,750; as L2: 5,390,000).
- Location
- Buganda province: Lake Victoria northwest shore to Lake Kyoga and Tanzania border.
- Language Maps
- Uganda
- Language Status
- 3 (Wider communication). De facto language of national identity. Became a language of wider communication in the 18th century when trade with Zanzibar flourished. Also used in religion with the arrival of Protestant, Catholic, and Muslim missionaries. Also used in literature.
- Classification
- Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, J, Nyoro-Ganda (E.15)
- Dialects
- Kooki (Olukooki), Sese (Olusese), Vuma (Luvuma), Diopa (Ludiopa). Lexical similarity: 71%–86% with Soga [xog], 68% with Gwere [gwr].
- Typology
- SVO.
- Language Use
- Used in primary schools and churches especially in the south. Kooki dialect may be extinct. Home, work, church. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Most also use English [eng]. Used as L2 by Chiga [cgg], Gwere [gwr], Kenye [lke], Kuku [ukv], Masaaba [myx], Nubi [kcn], Nyankore [nyn], Nyole [nuj], Nyoro [nyo], Ruruuli-Runyala [ruc], Saamya-Gwe [lsm], Soga [xog].
- Language Development
- Widely used for literacy. Many adults outside the language area learned to read Ganda in school (2021 SIL). Taught in primary and secondary schools through grade 3 and as subject thereafter. Taught as subject at 1 university. Literature. Newspapers. Periodicals. Radio. TV. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible: 1896–2017.
- Writing
- Latin script [Latn], used since 1947.
- Other Comments
- Vuma dialect is moribund. Christian, Muslim.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Ganda
Also Spoken in
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United Kingdom
Language Name
Ganda
User Population
3,450 in United Kingdom (2011 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Kenya
Language Name
Ganda
User Population
50,000 in Kenya (2020 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity.
