Iramba | |
---|---|
Nilamba | |
Native to | Tanzania |
Ethnicity | Nilamba, Iambi |
Native speakers
|
460,000 (2006) |
Niger–Congo
|
|
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 |
|
Glottolog | nila1242 |
F.31 |
|
Iramba, also known as Nilamba (there is no distinction between /r/ and /l/) is a Bantu language of spoken by the Nilamba and Iambi people of the Shinyanga Region of Tanzania.
Forms of the name occur with and without the prefix ni- or i-, as well as iki- (Swahili ki-) as the noun-class prefix for 'language', and variation of r ~ l ~ ly in the root. This results in a large number of superficial variants, including Nilamba, Niramba, Nilyamba, Nyilamba, Ikinilamba, Ikiniramba, Ilamba, Iramba, Kinilamba, Kiniramba; there is also Nilambari.
The 50,000 Iambi speak a slightly divergent dialect, sometimes listed as a distinct language. On the other hand, the Isanzu language is sometimes included as a dialect.