Alternate Names: Kikomo, Kikumo, Kikumu, Kikuumu, Kumo, Kumu, Kuumu
Dialects: No identified dialects, but speech varieties have the following differences: up to 10% lexical differences, in comparison with the reference lexicon as found in Lubutu. Most noticeable phonological variation: lambdacism. Most noticeable relational word variation: shape of the alienable possession marker. Lexical similarity: 80% with Bhele ,, 70% with Bila ,, 58% with Bera ,, 48% with Bwa ,, 46% with Bali ,, Lika ,, and Pagibete ,, 30% with Lingala ,, Lega-Shabunda ,, and Budu ,.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 400,000 (1998 SIL).
Language Use: All ages except in population centers where L1 is Congo Swahili, and then it is 7 and older for boys. Also use Congo Swahili [swc], Lingala [lin]. Those around Kisangani are more likely to know Lingala [lin] than Congo Swahili [swc] (more than 10% of the men). Used as L2 by Lengola [lej].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 1%. Literacy rate in L2: 50% older men (born before 1970), 30% younger men, less than 10% women. Poetry. Bible portions: 1991–1998.
Typology: SVO; prepositions; noun head followed by genitive and relative clause; question word initial; 7 prefixes; 4 suffixes; word order distinguishes subject, object, indirect object; human-animate-inanimate contrast in plural and adjective agreement (no Bantu concord); verb affixes obligatorily mark person and number of subject and object; some ergativity in gerund phrase; middle, stative, unaccusative marked by suffix; causatives marked by suffix; comparisons; CV, V, Nasal CV, CV Nasal, Nasal; tonal.
Writing System: Latin
Nation of Origin: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Other Comments: Christian, Muslim, traditional religion.