Habla Congo or Habla Bantú is a Kongo-based liturgical language of the Palo religion with origins in Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, later spreading to other countries in the Caribbean Basin.[1] The language may be called lengua conga or lengua congo but is generally referred to simply as lengua, meaning "language" in Spanish. It involves code-switching between Kongo-derived words and phrases; Bozal Spanish, the archaic Spanish creole of the Caribbean slave plantations, or at least an imitation of it; and colloquial Caribbean Spanish.
| Habla Congo | |
|---|---|
| Habla Bantu | |
| lengua | |
| Native to | Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico |
Native speakers | None (liturgical language) |
Language family | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | None |
Guthrie code | H.10C[1] |
A palero (Palo priest) would say that he habla congo (or habla conga) "speaks Kongo," habla en congo, or habla palero. It is not secret, but it is intended to be impenetrable to the uninitiated.[2]