When looking up information about Tshiluba, there isn't much that teaches you how to speak the language. As much information as there is on the background of the language, there isn't much on the grammar or the vocabulary. The purpose of this book is to teach you just that.

Used by individuals, families, or whole communities to destroy or weaken evil spirits, prevent or cure illnesses, repel bad deeds, solemnize contracts or oath-taking, and decide arguments

It is highly encouraged that others help contribute to this book and add information to the appropriate lessons.

Introduction

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Tshiluba is a Bantu language spoken by about six million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is primarily spoken in Western and Eastern Kasai[1]. It is a language that is spoken in a large area in the Kasaï Occidental and Kasaï Oriental provinces of the DRC, but an eastern dialect is spoken by the Luba people of the East Kasai Region and a western dialect by the Lulua people of the West Kasai Region[2]. Much like English, it is subject-verb-object (SVO). Tshiluba is a tonal language, meaning that a change in tone when speaking the language can have an effect on the meaning conveyed. Two tones are commonly used: high and low. High tones are usually marked by an accent over the vowel, while low tones are left unmarked[3].

Contents

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Level One

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  1. Getting to Know You
    1. Letters, Numbers, & Colors
    2. Greetings & Introductions
    3. Describing People
  2. Around the House
    1. Furniture
    2. Household Chores
    3. Family

Level Two

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  1. Around Town
    1. Places
    2. Jobs & Professions
    3. Activities
  2. Back to School
    1. School Supplies
    2. School Subjects
    3. Telling Time

Level Three

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  1. How's the Weather?
    1. Dates
    2. Common Weather
    3. What to Wear
  2. Shopping
    1. Likes & Dislikes
    2. Types of Stores
    3. Things to Buy

Other

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  1. Appendices
  2. Glossary
  3. Index

References

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  1. Ager, Simon. "Tshiluba Language and Alphabet". Omniglot. Kualo. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
  2. Akindipe, Tola; Yamba, Francisco; Tshiama, Veronica, https://tshiluba.mofeko.com/index.html, Learn Tshiluba (Mofeko)
  3. Rosenbaum, Vanessa; Billings, Kelli; Gohn, Janessa; Holcomb, Libby; Lahey, Jessica et al. (2014-04-21). Tshiluba Language Structures (Report). ScholarWorks - Boise State University Scholarship and Research. http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1049&context=as_14. Retrieved 2017-02-02.