Ganda (LùGáànda)

Ganda or Luganda is a member of the Bantu branch of Niger-Congo languages. Around 3 million Baganda people, who live mainly in the Buganda region of Uganda, speak the language. Ganda is also widely used elsewhere in Uganda as a second language. The name Uganda is the Swahili version of Baganda.

Ganda was first written during the second half of the 19th century. The first Ganda grammar was published in 1882, and was soon followed by other publications, many of which were written by missionaries. A number of different Ganda spelling systems were developed. A standard orthography of Ganda (Empandiika y'Oluganda Entongol) was introduced in 1947 at an All-Baganda Conference.

Ganda is used as the language of instruction in some primary schools in the Buganda region. There are also regular radio broadcasts in Ganda.

Arabic alphabet for Ganda

Ganda alphabet
A a	B b	C c	D d	E e	F f	G g	I i	J j
a	bba	cca	dda	e	ffa	gga	yi/i	jja
K k	L l	M m	N n	NY ny	Ŋ ŋ	O o	P p	R r
kka	la	mma	nna	nnya/ nna-yi	ŋŋa	o	ppa	eri
S s	T t	U u	V v	W w	Y y	Z z
ssa	tta	wu/u	vva	wa	ya	zza

Ganda pronunciation

Sample text in Ganda

Abantu bazaalibwa nga balina eddembe n'obuyinza ebyenkanankana, batondebwa nga balina amagezi era nga basobola okwawula ekirungi n'ekibi bwebatyo, buli omu agwana okuyisa munne nga muganda we.

Sample text in Ganda in the Arabic alphabet

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Information about Ganda pronunciation compiled by Wolfram Siegel

Links

Information about the Ganda language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luganda_language
http://www.panafril10n.org/wikidoc/pmwiki.php/PanAfrLoc/Ganda

A Primer on Speaking and Writing Luganda
http://www.buganda.com/luganda.htm

Online Luganda Dictionary
http://www.gandaancestry.com/dictionary/dictionary.php
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/Luganda-english/

Other Niger-Congo languages

Akan, Bambara, Bamum, Bemba, Chichewa, Duala, Ewe, Ewondo, Ga, Ganda, Herero, Igbo, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kpelle, Lingala, Mende, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, OshiWambo, Shona, Southern Sotho, Swahili, Swati, Tshiluba, Tsonga, Tswana, Twi, Wolof, Xhosa, Yorùbá, Zulu

Other languages written with the Latin alphabet

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