Karai-karai (bo Karaikarai)

Karai-karai is a West Chadic language spoken by about 1.8 million people mainly in Yobe State in the northeast of Nigeria, particularly to the north and west of Potiskum. There are also speakers of Karai-karai in Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Taraba, Adamawa, Jigawa, Kano and Nasarawa states.

Karai-karai is also known as Kәrekәre, Kerekere, Karaikarai, Kerikeri, Karekare or Bakwaráu, Bakwaró. Native speakers call it Bo Karai-karai. It is closely related to Bole and Ngamo, which are spoken in the same area.

Karai-karai is written with the Latin alphabet. The first book in Karai-karai was published in the 1950s using a standard form of the language.

Karai-karai alphabet and pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for Karai-karai (Excel)

Sample text

Nattù, çàntu!
Akatà ýalinnàu Lànjèerìyà,
Na ɗā̀afàa te kà aka wàɗì a akata jiirè
Na ‘ya tàwaanàu ka giɗta ýàakàràa hnnnàu
Na ɗā̀waa gaana fa mà jàga tingèenatàu a bo ýal wàɗì,
Na da ba cawa ca bài,
Se dài mà na jagate ka bòo mem mà zaba cawa waike,
Tàala mbure muune, amiin.

Translation

Arise, O Compatriots
Nigeria's call obey
To serve our fatherland
With love and strength and faith
The labour of our heroes past,
shall never be in vain
To serve with heart and might,
One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity.

Sample videos in Karai-karai

Links

Information about Karai-karai
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karai-karai
http://aflang.humanities.ucla.edu/language-materials/chadic-languages/yobe/karekare/
http://www.language-archives.org/language/kai
https://vdoc.pub/documents/karekare-english-hausa-dictionary-2606uo8lr70g

Chadic languages

Bade, Barein, Bole, Dangaléat, Gawar, Goemai, Hausa, Hdi, Karai-karai, Kera, Lele, Marba, Migaama, Miya, Moloko, Musey, Mwaghavul, Ngizim, Polci, Sokoro, Somrai, Tangale, Tumak

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 01.11.23. Last modified: 01.11.23

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