Nkoma

Nkoma is an alternative way to write Lingala and other languages spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) devised by Paoli Mbongo from Kinshasa. Other languages spoken in the DRC include Kongo, Swahili, Tshiluba and French.

Notable features

Type of writing system: alphabet
Direction of writing: left-to-right in horizontal lines
Used to write: Lingala and other languages of the DRC

Nkoma alphabet

Download an alphabet chart for Nkoma (Excel)
Download a font for Nkoma

Sample texts in Nkoma in Lingala

Sample text in the Nkoma alphabet

Transliteration

Soki omoni na mboka moko bato bazo bina lokolo moko, yo pe bina lokolo moko.

Translation

If you see in a country that the inhabitants dance on one foot, you yourself dance on one foot. (When in Roman, do as the Romans).

Source: http://www.infosociale.org/proverbes-en-lingala.html

Sample text in the Nkoma alphabet

Bato nyonso na mbotama bazali nzomi pe bakokani na limemya pe makoki. Bazali na mayele pe base, geli kofanda na bondeko okati na bango.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Scripts by Paoli Mbongo

Nkoma, Pangeul

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