The Jeliya catalogue uses Ikinyarwanda / Kinyarwanda. Glottolog indexes the corresponding language as Kinyarwanda (kiny1244). Its ISO 639-3 code is kin. [1]
Draft — awaiting native-speaker review
Closely related to Kirundi, with its own standard and usage conventions.
Opening retained from the existing catalogue; awaiting editorial and speaker review.The Jeliya catalogue uses Ikinyarwanda / Kinyarwanda. Glottolog indexes the corresponding language as Kinyarwanda (kiny1244). Its ISO 639-3 code is kin. [1]
Glottolog associates this record with the following country codes: BI, CD, RW, TZ, UG. Catalogue locations do not enumerate diaspora or second-language use. [1]
No dated, scope-checked speaker estimate has been approved for this page.
The catalogue classification follows this sequence: Atlantic-Congo → Volta-Congo → Benue-Congo → Bantoid → Southern Bantoid → Narrow Bantu → East Bantu → Northeast Savanna Bantu → Great Lakes Bantu → Western Lakes Bantu → Kivu → West Highlands Kivu. [1]
The Glottolog bibliography includes a linguistic description attributed to Keane, A. H. 1885 and a more recent one attributed to Nkusi, Laurent 1995. These are publication dates, not language origins. [1]
Latin spelling normally omits tone and much phonetic detail. Use a grammar’s learner notation alongside standard spelling.
Existing linguistic-map notes are planning material, not newly verified facts. A named reviewer and reference are still needed.Five vowel qualities, contrastive length and high/low tone. Surface tone can shift across morphemes; prenasalised and labialised/palatalised consonants need phrase-level practice.
Existing linguistic-map notes are planning material, not newly verified facts. A named reviewer and reference are still needed.A PHOIBLE record links published sound-inventory descriptions for this language. Inventory analysis can differ by variety and study; example words, letter values and a learner-facing pronunciation table still require a checked reference and speaker recordings. [4]
A reviewed alphabet, sound-by-sound IPA guide and reference recordings are still needed.
Awaiting a cited, language-specific contribution and speaker review.
SVO; noun-class agreement, complex tense/aspect and verb extensions, with grammatical tone.
Existing linguistic-map notes are planning material, not newly verified facts. A named reviewer and reference are still needed.Standard Kinyarwanda
Existing linguistic-map notes are planning material, not newly verified facts. A named reviewer and reference are still needed.Named child varieties in this record include Bufumbwa, Bwisha, Hutu, Igikiga, Mulenge, Rufumbira, Rutwa. These labels do not select Jeliya’s teaching variety. [1]
An entry separates the headword, part of speech, senses and cited examples. A variant is another documented form; a synonym is a different word with a related meaning. Derived expressions can have their own entry. Follow source links and variety tags before using a form.
Search the everyday spelling and check tone-marked forms. ɛ, ɔ, ɲ and ŋ are letters, not removable accents. Search tolerance does not mean two spellings are the same word. Save an entry to keep its stable identity in your wordbook.
Open the dictionaryAwaiting a cited, language-specific contribution and speaker review.
Editorial adaptation: Jeliya
Language reviewer: awaiting appointment
Last revision: 10/12/2026
Harald Hammarström, Robert Forkel, Martin Haspelmath and Sebastian Bank
CC BY 4.0
Source checked: 10/12/2026Nkusi, Laurent 1995
Source checked: 10/12/2026