Yaka language (Congo–Angola)

Not to be confused with the Aka language of the Aka people, which is also known as Yaka, or with Yaka language (Congo)

Yaka
Iyaka
Kiyaka
Native to	Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola
Ethnicity	Yaka
Native speakers	900,000 (2000)[1]

Yaka, also spelled Iaca and Iyaka, is a Bantu language spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola. There are two dialects, Yaka proper, which comprises 99% of speakers, and Ngoongo (distinguish West Ngongo language).^[4] The alleged varieties Pelende and Lonzo are political rather than ethnolinguistic entities.^[2]

References

1. Kiyaka at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
   Ngoongo at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
   Pelende (duplicate code)[2] at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
   Lonzo (duplicate code)[2] at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)</ref>
   Language family
   Niger–Congo

   • Atlantic–Congo
     • Benue–Congo
       • Bantoid
         • Bantu (Zone H)
           • Yaka languages (H.30)
             • Yaka
   Language codesISO 639-3 Variously:
   yaf – Kiyaka
   noq – Ngoongo
   ppp – Pelende (duplicate code)^[2]
   lnz – Lonzo (duplicate code)^[2]Glottolog yaka1269^[3]
   Guthrie code
   H.31<ref name='Guthrie'>Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
2. Hammarström (2015) Ethnologue 16/17/18th editions: a comprehensive review: online appendices
3. Nordhoff, Sebastian; Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2013). "Yaka (Democratic Republic of Congo)". Glottolog. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.