Similar words in Oshiwambo of Namibia and Luhya of Kenya

Similar words in Oshiwambo of Namibia and Luhya of Kenya

Hello, this is Dorine. Welcome to the channel! Thank you so much for choosing this channel. Today, I am going to share with you some words that I found to be almost related between Luya of Kenya and Oshiwambo of Namibia. It's very exciting to make this video, and I'll be telling you why in the article. But before we go into it, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each one of you who has been a support to this channel. Today, because of you, we are at 10,000 subscribers. I'm really humbled, grateful, and I say thank you for coming and viewing this channel. May God bless you abundantly.

The Words

1. To Sleep

• Oshiwambo: k
• Luhya: corner (specifically in my dialect)

In Oshiwambo, "to sleep" is pronounced as k while in Luhya, it’s corner. You'll notice that both languages feature prominent 'O' sounds.

2. Knife

• Oshiwambo: om
• Luhya: omano

In Oshiwambo, "knife" is om, whereas in Luhya (specifically Wanga), it's omano. You can see the similarity here.

3. Egg

• Oshiwambo: inah
• Luhya: omana

In Oshiwambo, "egg" is inah while in Luhya, it’s omana. Both words start similarly, though there are slight differences.

4. Man

• Oshiwambo: man
• Luhya: sumara (specifically among the Bukusu in Luhya)

In Oshiwambo, "man" is pronounced man. In Luhya (specifically Bukusu), it’s sumara.

5. Yes

• Oshiwambo: e
• Luhya: e (sometimes also pronounced as m)

In Oshiwambo, "yes" can be stated as e. Luhya speakers also say e for yes. Occasionally in Oshiwambo, m is also used, just like in some Luhya dialects.

6. No

• Oshiwambo: a
• Luhya: a (also used similarly)

In Oshiwambo, "no" is a. Luhya speakers use a similarly, often followed by an explanatory phrase.

7. Food

• Oshiwambo: eulia
• Luhya: eosia

In Oshiwambo, "food" is eulia. In Luhya, it is eosia, sounding quite related.

8. Grandmother

• Oshiwambo: cucko
• Luhya: khukhu

In Oshiwambo, "grandmother" is pronounced cucko. In Luhya, it is khukhu, which sounds similar across different sub-dialects.

9. My Name is...

• Oshiwambo: Dorinaya
• Luhya: Nandi Dorin

In Oshiwambo, one would say Dorinaya for "My name is Dorin". In Luhya, it’s Nandi Dorin. Notice the similar construction and phonetic elements.

These connections suggest some shared linguistic ancestry or influence between these two languages, despite geographic separation.

Keywords

• Luya
• Oshiwambo
• To Sleep
• Knife
• Egg
• Man
• Yes
• No
• Food
• Grandmother
• My Name is

FAQ

Q: How are "to sleep" pronounced in Oshiwambo and Luhya? A: In Oshiwambo, it is k, and in Luhya, it's corner.

Q: What is the word for "knife" in both languages? A: In Oshiwambo, it is om, and in Luhya, it is omano.

Q: How do you say "yes" and "no" in Oshiwambo and Luhya? A: Yes is e in both languages, and no is a in both languages.

Q: Are there many dialects within the Luhya language? A: Yes, there are more than 17 dialects within the Luhya language in Kenya.

Q: Does Oshiwambo have multiple dialects like Luhya? A: While the article doesn't specify multiple dialects within Oshiwambo, linguistic variation often exists in languages.

Q: How do Luhya and Oshiwambo compare in terms of vocabulary usage? A: Both languages share some phonetic similarities and use a lot of 'O' sounds, indicating some interesting connections between their vocabularies.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this article. Please like, subscribe, and share your thoughts in the comments section below. See you in the next post!