Luna (or Luna Inkongo) is a Bantu language of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Assigned by Guthrie to a group called Songe (L.20), it is presumably one of the Luban languages established by Ahmed (1995), like most of the other Songe languages, though it was not specifically addressed.Nurse & Phillipson 2003 Ruhlen (1987) agrees in placing it with the Luban languages.
Phonology +Luna consonantsBilabialLabio-dentalAlveolarPostalveolar/PalatalVelarPlosiveVoicelessVoiceddgAffricatet͡ʃ <c>Fricativeʃ <x>ŋ <ñ>Semivowel <y>Lateral /g/ is always prenasalized, and k is almost always palatalized. /p/ is realized as [Φ] if not following /m/. +Luna vowelsFrontMidBackCloseiuClose-midɪ <ǐ>əo Open-midɛ <e>ɔ <ô>Openaɒ <ǒ> Stress typically falls on the penultimate syllable.
Grammar As is typical of Bantu languages, Luna utilizes a noun-class system defined by prefixes. The distal demonstrative 'that, yon' can be formed by adding the prefix yi- to the form. These are defined below: +Class prefixesClassSingularPluralRelative/pronominal singularRelative/pronominal pluralPossessive singularPossessive pluralDemonstrative1di-, bu-, bwa-, bo-, ku-ma-, ø-bu-, di-, ku-a- -adio, -abu, -aku -aobobu, dedi, koku, aa2ka-tu-ka-tu- -ako -atukaka, totu3ki-bi-ki-bi- -akio -abiok(i)eki, bebi4lu-, lo-, lwo-N-lu-i-, y-, yi- -alu -ayololu, yei5mu-mi-u- (before consonant), V̆- (before vowel) -au -ayoou, yei6mwo-mie- -au -ayo7mu-, ø-ba-u- (before consonant), a- (before vowel)ba- -anci, -enci (after i) -aboyou, baba8ø-ø-i-, y-, yi- -anci -aboyou, yei Additionally, there are three locative/adverbial prefixes, these being ku- (at a place, motion towards something), mu- (motion into something, within something), and pa- (near to or on, approaching something).
Pronouns are prefixed to the front of a verb before the tense (except for objective form, which is placed directly before the verb root) and verb root. Possessive pronouns generally follow the noun they possess. They are as follows. +Personal pronounsPersonIndependentSubjectObjectNegatedPossessiveReflexive1SGmemengu-, n-, m-ki- -amenemikyemi2SGoweu-ku-ku- -ebemikyebe3SGyeiu-, a-mu-ka- -anci/-encimikyenci1PLcocotu-katu- -ecumikyecu2PLnonunu-kanu- -enumikyenu3PLboboba-kaba- -abomikyeabo Ngu- is the first person singular subject prefix except before -di 'to be' (ndi 'I am') -bili 'to know' (mbili 'I know') and in the present tense progressive aspect of verbs, indicated by tana- (n-tana-nanga 'I am loving') and before object infixes. If there is an indirect and direct object, the indirect object is infixed in the object position and the direct object is moved to the end of the verb.The present and past progressive can also be expressed using the expressing -di mu + infinitive verb, literally to 'be in doing.' Relative pronouns are the same as subject pronouns when the subject, and moved to after the object pronoun when an object. (e. g. ngwakadya bukula 'I ate the flour' > bukula bunakadya '''the flour which I ate'). In relative clauses, ta- replaces the negative prefix.
Various tense, aspect, and mood (TAM) prefixes may be added to a verb to modify its meaning. In the present progressive, past continuous, past perfective, past pluperfect, and simple future, the infinitive morpheme ku- must be placed before the first vowel of a vowel-initial verb, except for in -angata 'fetch' and -akala 'be'. In monosyllabic vowels, the first consonant and vowel (-VC) are repeated (e. g. -fwa 'die' > nfofwa 'I die', -ela 'throw' > ngwelela 'I throw') in the first person singular. If the root is not vowel-initial, the vowel -e- is inserted if the final syllable is -ya, and -o- is inserted in all other cases. The final vowel becomes -i in the hortative imperative. The prefix bi- indicates a meaning of 'so that, that, in order that' and the suffix -po'' 'please' 'is added to commands when addressing a superior. +Luna TAM prefixesTAMPrefixExampleEnglishSimple presenta-, VC- (monosyllabic)nwanangaI lovePresent progressivetana-ntananangaI am lovingPast continuousama-namanangaI have loved (and am loving)Recent past/present perfectapu-napunangaI have lovedPast perfectiveaka-nakanangaI lovedPast pluperfectakama-nakamanangaI had lovedAffirmative pasta-nanangaI did loveSimple futurena- (1SG naku-)nakunangaI will loveDefinitive futurekye-nkyenangaI will love (at some definite time)Conditionalxe-nxenangaI should, would loveImperativeø-nangaLove (command)Hortative -iAnangiLet him/her love Additionally, complex verbs can be derived from simple verbs using prefixes. +Complex verbsFormVerbExampleEnglishSimple -xipakillReflexivedi- -dixipakill oneselfCausative -sa -xipisacause to kill oneselfRelative -la -xipilakill for anotherReciprocal/Habitual -ñana -xipañanakill each other, kill habituallyStative -ka -xipakabe dead, in a killed stateContinuousREDUPLICATED -xipa xipakeep on killing Passive -bwa -xipibwabe killed There are a few adverbs that affix directly onto the verb: +AdverbsAdverbMeaningExamplebe-please, used to soften commands, slightly, softly in non-imperativesbedipula ncibo 'kindly open the house for me'ki-stilltukyananga 'we still love' -poplease, if you pleasenamanangapo kantu ka sabanga 'I want a little bit of soap please'mu- and bi-the state in which, howtebela mwencencayi 'behold how he works' Cardinal numerals decline as both adjectives and simple numerals. +IndependentCardinalOrdinal1kôci -mo~mwe -a buxi2pende -bidi -amubidi3exatu -satu -amusatu4enei -nai -amunai5etano -tano -amutano6esambanu -sambomo -amusambomo7sambwalisambwali -a sambwali8yenanayenana -a yenana9dibwadibwa -a dibwa10iyomudisangi -a disangi
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