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Kikongo

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Kikongo 

(Kongo), the language of the Bakongo people, spoken by some 3.3 million people (1970, estimate). It is the official language of the Republic of Zaire and is also widely used in the People’s Republic of the Congo and in Angola. A Bantu language, Kikongo is divided into a southern branch (Kishikongo and Kikongo) and a northern branch (Kakongo and the Yombe and Vili dialects). Kikongo has vowel harmony and tones performing semantic functions. Its grammatical structure is characterized by nominal classes (15), whose indicators are monosyllabic prefixes. There is a well-developed system of derivative suffixal verb forms, and the word order is subject-predicate-object.

REFERENCES

Doke, C. M. Bantu: Modern Grammatical, Phonetical and Lexicographical Studies Since 1860. London, 1945.
Laman, K. E. Dictionnaire kikongo-français. Brussels, 1936.
Dereau, L. Course de Kikongo. Namur, 1955.
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1 LINGALA REPUBLIC KINGWANA OF THE KIKONGO & TSHILUBA CONGO 132,046 60 BRAZZAVILLE FRENCH REPUBLIC OF 3,700,000 2.
World affairs annual 2010 by New York Times Upfront
Saint Peter's Basilica swelled to the strains of a hymn in the Congolese language Lingala, while prayers were also said in Swahili, Portuguese, Amharic, Hausa, Kikongo and Arabic to start the synod, which will run through October 25.
Pope launches synod on Africa's woes by AFP / AFP Global Edition
The reader learns that a mysterious monster, who speaks Kikongo, has lived in the forest for ages.
Remembering colonial violence: inter/textual strategies of Congolese ... by Gehrmann, Susanne / Tydskrif vir Letterkunde
 
 
 
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