Runyakitara as an academic discipline and as taught in Ugandan universities, has three major components: Language, Literature and Culture. It is this third component that the present publication is endeavouring to cater for. The term Banyakitara is the plural form of a Munyakitara or native speaker of Runyakitara. One would like to recall that the Bunyoro-Kitara Empire at one point in history covered most of the areas where Runyakitara is spoken today, spreading up to some territories in the present day Tanzania and DRC.

The authors in this book have covered a wide range of topics relating to culture, which include: what culture entails in general terms, kingship institutions among the Banyakitara, gender issues, friendship functions and rituals, marriage, forms of address, kinship and time references, the Empaako, a special form of address among the Banyoro, Batooro and Bahema, among others, recognised by UNESCO as part of its intangible heritage, taboos, omens and signs, traditional religion as well as death and its rituals.

Suffice it to say, however, that this kind of work, where cultures of related groups of people are compared, should be a challenge for other scholars in Uganda and beyond to do the same for a better appreciation and understanding of our societies.

This book endeavours to cover the major areas of language study as they relate to Runyakitara. They range from phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, translation and interpretation, including the orthography of Runyakitara.

In Uganda, the mutually intelligible languages or dialects that make up Runyakitara include:

• Runyankore, to which should be associated sub-dialects such as Ruhima, Ruhororo, Runyaruguru, Rutagwenda and to some extent Rukooki.
• Rukiga, to which should be associated such sub-dialects as Runyaifo, Runyangyezi, Rusigi, Ruhimba, Rugyeri, Ruheesi, and Runyabutumbi.
• Runyoro, to which should be associated such sub-dialects as Ruruuli, Runyara, and Rugangaizi.
• Rutooro, to which should be associated such sub-dialects as, Rusongora, Rutuku, Runyakyaka, Orutooro rwa Hansozi and Lubwisi.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), we have Ruhuma and Ruhema. In Tanzania we have Runyambo, Ruhaya and Kikerewe.