Nkoya language

Not to be confused with Mbwela language (Angola).

Nkoya is a Bantu language of Zambia. It may be one of the Luba languages, and is at least Luban.

Nkoya
Shinkoya
Native to	Zambia
Native speakers	36,000 (2010 census)[1]
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Benue–Congo Bantoid Bantu Luban Luba ? Nkoya
Dialects	Nkoya proper Mbwera (Mbowela) Kolwe (Lukolwe) Shangi (Lushangi) Shasha (Mashasha)
Language codes
ISO 639-3	nka
Glottolog	nkoy1244
Guthrie code	L.60 (L.601–603,61–62)[2]

Maho (2009) considers the various varieties—Mbwera, Kolwe, Shangi, Shasha, and Nkoya proper—to be distinct languages in an Nkoya language cluster.^[2]