Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Aug 1, 2026

Amba language (Bantu)

Amba is a language spoken in parts of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo by the Amba people. The Amba people call it Kwamba and it is known as Kihumu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Amba has a 70% lexical similarity with Bera. Dialects include Kyanzi (Kihyanzi) and Suwa (Kusuwa).

Last revised
Aug 1, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
129 w
Citations
5
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Amba
Kwamba
Native toUganda, DR Congo
Native speakers
40,000 (2002)1
Language codes
ISO 639-3rwm
Glottologamba1263
D.222
Vamba
Native toDR Congo
RegionRuwenzories–Kivu
Extinct(date missing)2
Amba-based pidgin
Language codes
ISO 639-3None (mis)
GlottologNone
D.20B2

Amba (also spelled Bulebule, Hamba, Humu, Kihumu, Ku-Amba, Kuamba, Lubulebule, Lwamba, Ruwenzori Kibira, and Rwamba) is a language spoken in parts of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo by the Amba people. The Amba people call it Kwamba and it is known as Kihumu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Amba has a 70% lexical similarity with Bera. Dialects include Kyanzi (Kihyanzi) and Suwa (Kusuwa).

There was once an Amba pidgin called Vamba, now extinct.2

References

References

  1. Amba at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
External links