Bukusu (Lubukusu)

Bukusu is a member of the Masaba branch of the Bantu language family. It spoken by about 1.2 million Babukusu people in southwestern Kenya, particularly in counties of Bungoma Kakamega and Trans Nzoia.

There are three dialects: one is spoken to the north of Kimilili particularly around Kitale, and is considered the purest form of the language. Another is spoken to the west of Webuye, and one is spoken to the east of Webuye and in the Kakemega and Lugari districts.

Bukusu is written with the Latin alphabet. It is taught in some primary schools, and used in literature and on the radio.

Bukusu alphabet

Bukusu alphabet

Notes

After nasal consonants, v and w = [b], y = [ʤ], l and r = [d].

Download an alphabet chart for Bukusu (Excel format)

Details of the Bukusu alphabet provided by Wolfram Siegel

Hear how to pronounce Bukusu letters:

Sample text

Enyanga yaba efwa mumabeka. Nasiebanda kakhandaka sisialo bukhangaka. Omwichukhulu wa Nalonja embaa yawamo. Lulwala lubofu lwanyoa asi nio sikhandakilo siarakho. Ekhukunyu yesanyao busa. Seliamanyikha muka sina kwe sikele kukwarusianga endiri tawe. Nekhali buli lwoosi bakhana bakhomefu nebakenda sebalekhananga nende endiri tawe. Kamakhuwa ke khumololokha oli khapusi, Nasiebanda sekabamo tawe.

Source: https://bukusu.mulembenation.co.ke/nasiebanda-nende-mwibanda/

Sample videos

Links

Information about Bukusu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukusu_dialect
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/bxk
https://mulembenation.co.ke/learn-luhya/learn-lubukusu-bukusu-language/ https://paul-marciano.fandom.com/wiki/Bukusu_phonology
https://archive.org/details/AManualOfLumasabaGrammar

Bantu languages

Bangi, Basaa, Bemba, Bena, Benga, Bhaca, Bukusu, Bulu, Central Teke, Chichewa, Chokwe, Chuwabu, Comorian, Digo, Duala, Eton, Ewondo, Fang, Ganda/Luganda, Gogo, Gusii, Gwere, Haya, Hehe, Herero, Ibinda, Ikizu, Jita, Kamba, Kiga, Kikuyu, Kimbundu, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kisi, Kongo, Konjo, Koti, Kukuya, Kunda, Kuria, Lambya, Lingala, Loma, Lozi, Luba-Katanga, Luchazi, Lunda, Luvale, Makaa, Makonde, Makhuwa, Mandekan, Maore, Masaaba, Mbukushu, Mbunda, Mende, Mongo, Mushungulu, Mwani, Nambya, Nande, Nkore, North Teke, Northern Ndebele (South Africa), Northern Ndebele (Zimbabwe), Northern Sotho, Nyamwezi, Nyakyusa, Nyemba, Nyole, Nyungwe, Nzadi, Oroko, OshiWambo, Pagibete, Punu, Ronga, Safwa, Sena, Sengele, Shona, Soga, Songe, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Sukuma, Swahili, Swati, Tanga, Tembo, Tonga, Tshiluba, Tsonga, Tswa, Tswana, Tumbuka, Umbundu, Venda, Vwanji, Xhosa, Yao, Yasa, Zigula, Zinza, Zulu

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 22.07.22. Last modified: 22.07.22

[top]


Green Web Hosting - Kualo

You can support this site by Buying Me A Coffee, and if you like what you see on this page, you can use the buttons below to share it with people you know.

 

Talk in Arabic - Learn Egyptian, Iraqi, Levantine, Sundanese, Moroccan, Algerian or Saudi Arabic

If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or by contributing in other ways. Omniglot is how I make my living.

 

Note: all links on this site to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.fr are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission if you click on any of them and buy something. So by clicking on these links you can help to support this site.

[top]

iVisa.com