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.
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:
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/
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
Bangi, Basaa, Bemba, Bena, Benga, Bhaca, Bube, Bukusu, Bulu, Central Teke, Chichewa, Chokwe, Chuwabu, Comorian, Digo, Duala, Eton, Ewondo, Fang, Ganda/Luganda, Gogo, Gusii, Gwere, Haya, Hehe, Herero, Ibinda, Ikizu, Ikoma, Jita, Kamba, Kiga, Kikuyu, Kimbundu, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kisi, Kogo, 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, Ngoni, 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
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