The Jeliya catalogue uses Kikongo / Kongo. Glottolog indexes the corresponding language grouping as Kikongo Language Cluster (kiko1235). This is a grouping, not a claim that all its varieties share one standard. [1]
Draft — awaiting native-speaker review
Kikongo names a cluster of related varieties. Kikongo ya Leta / Kituba is a distinct contact language and should not be silently merged with these varieties.
Opening retained from the existing catalogue; awaiting editorial and speaker review.The Jeliya catalogue uses Kikongo / Kongo. Glottolog indexes the corresponding language grouping as Kikongo Language Cluster (kiko1235). This is a grouping, not a claim that all its varieties share one standard. [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 → Central-Western Bantu → West-Coastal Bantu → Nzadic → Lweric → Dingic → Loange-Atlantic → KLC Extended. [1]
Awaiting a cited, language-specific contribution and speaker review.
Latin conventions differ by country and variety. Maintain source orthography and an explicit variety label before comparing forms.
Existing linguistic-map notes are planning material, not newly verified facts. A named reviewer and reference are still needed.Vowel length and high/low tonal organisation vary across the Kikongo cluster; begin with the five basic vowel qualities in a chosen description and verify its inventory.
Existing linguistic-map notes are planning material, not newly verified facts. A named reviewer and reference are still needed.A reviewed alphabet, sound-by-sound IPA guide and reference recordings are still needed.
Awaiting a cited, language-specific contribution and speaker review.
SVO and Bantu noun-class concord with verbal extensions; cluster-wide rules need variety-specific confirmation.
Existing linguistic-map notes are planning material, not newly verified facts. A named reviewer and reference are still needed.Select a named Kikongo variety; Kituba is distinct
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 Hungan Kipuka, Hungan Kwango, Hungan Kwenge, Hungan Vanga, Hungan, Samba, Hungan-Samba, Keenge, Yari, Beembe, Kaamba, Nyaanga. 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: 10/12/2026