Lela (c'Lélà)

Lela is a member of the Northwest Kainji branch of the Benue-Congo language family. It is spoken by about 90,000 people mainly in Kebbi State, and also in Niger and Zamfara states, in the north and west of Nigeria. In particular, Lela speakers can be found in Zuru, Sakaba and Donko-Wasagu Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Kebbi State, Rijau LGA in Niger State, and Gummi LGA in Zamfara State.

Lela is also known as C'lela, Cilela, Cala-Cala, Chilala, Chilela, Dakakari, Dakarkari, Dakkarkari, Kolela or Lalawa. Lela speakers call their language c'Lélà and themselves Lélnà. Dialects of Lela include Lila, Dabai, Ribah and Adoma.

Lela can be written with the Latin alphabet using an spelling system developed by the Committee for the Standardization of C'Lela Orthography in 1994, and revised in 2011. Other spelling systems are available. Parts of the Bible have been translated into the language.

Lela alphabet

Download an alphabet chart for Lela (Excel - provided by Michael Peter Füstumum)

Notes

Tones are not always marked.

Sample text

Ye̱so zeta bo̱ na̱, “Daava̱n ta̱n cepkte, ze na: “ ‘Ceta co, na hwiipsa̱ dind rovo. Go̱mc rov han.
Ne̱e̱ co kooye̱ hweda, ryaakca̱n guba̱m d'hwen.
Kwisi co ko̱tc co, ho̱da̱na̱n c retin ca̱n kwisi an rein ta ko̱t baa co. Av sav la co baa c'ke̱ta̱mse̱ da.’ ”

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/4239/LUK.11.DRINT

Translation

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
The Lord's Prayer - Luke 11: 2-4

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.11.KJV

Sample videos in Lela

Links

Information about Lela
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lela_language
https://www.webonary.org/clela/overview/introduction/
https://www.sil.org/language/dri
https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/clel1238

Kainji languages

Cipu, Lela, Vadi

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 07.10.26. Last modified: 07.10.26

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