Ha (Ighia)

Ha is a Northeast Bantu language spoken by about 990,000 people in the Kigoma Region in the northwest of Tanzania on the eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika. In particular, it is spoken in the Kigoma, Kasulu and Kibondo districts of the Kigoma Region. There are also Ha speakers in other parts of Tanzania, and in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ha is also known as Giha, Kiha or Ighia. It is closely related to languages spoken in Rwanda and Burundi, particularly Kirundi.

Ways to write Ha with the Latin alphabet were developed by missionaries in Kigoma in the early 20th century. They translated various religious texts into the language, including parts of the Bible. Their spelling was based on Kirundi spelling. In the 1990s, an orthography based on Swahili spelling emerged. Other spelling systems are available.

Ha alphabet

Ha alphabet

Download an alphabet chart for Ha (Excel)
Detail of the Ha alphabet provided by Wolfram Siegel (PDF)

Notes

Sample phrases in Ha

Source: https://lughayangu.com/post/common-kiha-phrases

Sample Video in Ha

Links

Information about Ha
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ha_language
https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/haaa1252
http://www.language-archives.org/language/haq
https://www.academia.edu/5753826/A_RESEARCH_ON_KIHA
https://journal.fi/store/article/download/52602/16367

Bantu languages

Aka, Aushi, Bafaw-Balong, Bangi, Bangubangu, Basaa, Bemba, Bembe, Bena, Benga, Bhaca, Bila, Bube, Budu, Bujeba, Bukusu, Bulu, Bushong, Central Kilimanjaro, Central Teke, Chichewa, Chokwe, Chopi, Chuwabu, Comorian, Dciriku, Digo, Duala, Eton, Ewondo, Fang, Fuliiru, Fwe, Ganda/Luganda, Giryama, Gogo, Gungu, Gusii, Gwere, Gyele, Ha, Haya, Hehe, Herero, Ibinda, Idaxo-Isuxa-Tiriki, Ikizu, Ikoma, Jita, Kabwa, Kako, Kalanga, Kamba, Kanyok, Kiga, Kikuyu, Kimbundu, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kisi, Kobo, Kogo, Komo, Kongo, Konjo, Koti, Kuhane, Kukuya, Kunda, Kuria, Kwambi, Kwangali, Kwasio, Lambya, Lega, Lengola, Lingala, Loma, Lomwe, Lozi, Luba-Katanga, Luchazi, Lunda, Luvale, Luyana, Makaa, Makonde, Makhuwa, Mandekan, Maore, Masaaba, Mbama, Mbere, Mbosi, Mbugu, Mbukushu, Mbunda, Mbuun, Mende, Mongo, Mpiemo, Mushungulu, Mwani, Myene, Nambya, Nande, Ngoni, Ngwii, Njebi, Nkore, North Teke, Northern Ndebele (South Africa), Northern Ndebele (Zimbabwe), Northern Sotho, Nyamwezi, Nyakyusa, Nyemba, Nyole, Nyoro, Nyungwe, Nzadi, Oroko, OshiWambo, Pagibete, Pare, Punu, Rangi, Ronga, Safwa, Seki, Sena, Sengele, Shambala, Shona, Soga, Songe, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Suba, Sukuma, Swahili, Swati, Taita, Talinga, Tanga, Tembo, Tetela, Tonga, Tongwe, Tooro, Tshiluba, Tsonga, Tswa, Tswana, Tumbuka, Turu, Umbundu, Venda, Vili, Vwanji, Wanzi, West Teke, Xhosa, Yakam, Yansi, Yao, Yasa, Yeyi, Zigula, Zinza, Zulu

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 27.10.25. Last modified: 27.10.25

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