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Bantu language From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hehe, also known by its native name Kihehe [kihehe], is a Bantu language that is spoken by the Hehe people of the Iringa region of Tanzania, lying south of the Great Ruaha River.[3] It was reported to have "Ngoni" features, that is, words of a Zulu-like language introduced when conquered by a Nguni or Zulu-like people in the early 19th century.[citation needed] However, other "Ngoni" speeches seem to have lost most of these distinctive features over the past 150-odd years, the language more resembling those of the neighbouring peoples.[citation needed] In the 1970s, it was estimated that 190,000 people spoke Hehe.[4] There has been some Bible translation (British and Foreign Bible Society). Hehe may be mutually intelligible with Bena.[3]
Hehe | |
---|---|
Kihehe | |
Native to | Tanzania |
Ethnicity | Hehe |
Native speakers | 810,000 (2006)[1] |
Niger–Congo?
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | heh |
Glottolog | hehe1240 |
G.62 [2] | |
Linguasphere | 99-AUS-ua |
Hehe has 15 noun classes, marked with prefixes.[5]
Hehe has a complex tense-aspect-mood system.[6]