The Langi (often referred to as Lango, which is actually the name of their language. Lango also refers to a singular person; Lango person, Langi people) live in Lango sub-region (politically
Lango language is a Luo language, a sub-group of the Nilo-Saharan languages, and mutually intelligible with Acholi and Kumam, and related to other Luo languages of Uganda and Kenya.
History
Langi speak a Western Nilotic (Luo) language like their northern Acholi and Alur neighbours, but share many cultural characteristics with their Ateker (Eastern Nilotic) neighbours to the east.
Some anthropologists assert that they are part of a group that migrated from Ethiopia around 1600 A.D. and split into two branches, with one branch moving to present day Kenya to form the Kalenjin group and Maasai cluster. The other branch, called Ateker, migrated westwards and entered Uganda from the north-east. Ateker further split into four groups to form the Karamojong, Iteso, Kumam and Langi. The Langi migrated further to the west, and there they encountered the Acholi, who they pushed northwards from the northern part of Lake Kyoga. Through prolonged interaction with the Acholi, Langi lost Ateker language and took up Luo spoken by their Acholi neighbours. Many Langi identify with the Luo, refuting the theory that they are Ateker.
The Langi people, are the final group westwards, of migration from Abyssinia (Ethiopia) which dates back to 1600AD. According to tradition , the Jie now known as the Karamojong, are said to have migrated from an area known as Ararat in Abyssinia between 1600 and 1700AD as a single group known as the Jie before using the phrase: "Ekar ngimojong" meaning the old can walk no farther; which eventually gave them the name Karamojong. When they reached the Kenyan-Ethiopian border, they fragmented into several groups. One group became known as Turkana. The Turkana setlled around the Kenyan-Ethiopian boder and still lives in the same area to this day. A second group known as the Toposa moved strwaight and setled in an area within the the territory of the present day Sudan. The third group the Dodoth setlled at Apule in the northern part of the territory now known as karamoja. The main group moved southwards. On reaching the territory now occupied by the Jie, the group are reported to fragmented into three groups. The Jie remained where they were. But the three goups which emerged, were said to be the Pian, Bokora,and the Matheniko. These three groups moved farther southwards and the third group from the three, said to be the "[Matheniko]", went westwards and formed the Iteso, Kumam, and the Langi. It was this last group, the "[Matheniko]", who are had travelled the farthest who are sid to have used the phrase "Ekar ingmojong"," meaning the old can walk no farther", from which the now known as the Karamojong derived. The Pian, the Bokora, and the Matheniko still lives within the territory now known as Karamoja. But the Iteso, though linguistically intelligable with their neighbouring ancestor, the (Karamojong) and share many traditional practices, now live in a separate territory, known as Teso (Soroti). The Kumam, the smallsest of the entire groups, setlled in a small area known as Kaberamaido located between the Langi and the Iteso territories. Kumam people speaks Luo oriented dialect which can be understood by the neighbouring Lingi people with the least amount of effort. But they still use some words from the Iteso. The Langi moved farther west and encountered the Luo who they pushed northwards and finally setlled in the central area of the present day Uganda, along the the Nile tributory: Lake Kyoga and Lake Kwania in an area now known as Lia and Aach. The Langi encounters with the Luo are recorded in a rare prehistoric Acholi war song known as "Otole". These kind of songs were performed only on important occasoins to inform people of historic people and events. For example the following song:
Alero opong i langwen ye
Logem konya ki lweny ii! ii!, Paiboo ye! Oneno tong Lango? Tong Lango tero paco Tong Lango tek macalo man Macalo panyagira! This song was about an encounter between the Langi and the people of Bwobo in western Gulu. "Paibwoo ye", is a war cry dating back to their ancestor "Obwogo"
External links and references
- Uganda Bureau of Statistics
- Lango Association UK
- Lango Community Online
- Lira District Website
- Apac District Website
- Uganda History and Politics
- Rupiny - Online news in Lango and Acholi (Luo)
Although the [Langi] people have completely lost their acnestrol language, they still share some traditional practices with the previous groups. Notably the dance known in some parts of Lango as "Atigitigi", which is performed by jumping up high repeatedly. This type of dance is also prevalent among the Karamojong, the [Turkana], and Masai. Some of the ancestrol names inherited by the Langi, has no meaning in Luo vernacular and can not be explained by the [Langi] themselves. For instence, names such as: Atum, Akeny, Tapi, Itap, Angole, Adupa, Pule,Ejon, Ejom, Angim, Amuge, Ecuk, Okonga. ect. Whereas these names are still very popular among the previous groups. For example: The name Atum is still a common name within the [Turkana] society, and Amuge is still a very popular name in [Teso] and [Kumam] society.
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