Havu language

Not to be confused with Hawu language.

Havu (or Haavu or Kihavu) is a Bantu language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is spoken mainly in the Idjwi and Kalehe territories of Sud-Kivu Province, in the east of the DRC.^[3] It is closely related to the Shi language.

Havu
Kihavu
Native to	Democratic Republic of Congo
Region	Sud-Kivu Province
Native speakers	510,000 (2002)[1]
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Benue–Congo Bantoid Bantu Northeast Bantu Great Lakes Bantu Shi–Havu Havu
Language codes
ISO 639-3	hav
Glottolog	havu1238
Guthrie code	JD.52[2]

The Havu language is also spoken in the city of Goma, north of the island. However, ethnic Havu in Goma are not using the language as much as those on the island of Idjwi.^[4]

References

1. Havu at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
2. Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
3. "Ethnologue". Retrieved 28 March 2013.
4. DeWitt, Stephanie. 2019. Language Choice among the Havu of the Democratic Republic of Congo: Comparing two speech communities an urban center and an isolated island. Dallas International University: MA thesis.