Lubukusu
Bukusu
Niger-Congo
Bukusu (Lubukusu) is a Bantu language of the Luhya cluster (Glottolog JE31c), spoken by approximately 750,000 to 1.4 million people in Bungoma and Trans-Nzoia counties of western Kenya. The Bukusu community is the largest of the ~17 Luhya subgroups, distinguishing themselves through circumcision rites (sikhebo), warrior traditions, and Mt Elgon mythology shared with sister-language Masaaba (myx) across the Uganda border. Linguistically, Bukusu retains conservative Bantu features (15-18 noun classes, complex verbal morphology with tense-aspect-mood, two-tone register system), with Mutonyi (2000) providing the most comprehensive modern linguistic description. The Bible was translated into Bukusu in the 1960s, and there is active community publishing in folktales and proverbs.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Bukusu
Water
kamatsi
/kamatsi/
Fire
kamulilo
/kamulilo/
Sun
liuba
/liuba/
Moon
kumwesi
/kumwesi/
Star
kumunyeenye
/kumuɲeːɲe/
Mother
mayi
/maji/
Father
papa
/papa/
I
ese
/ese/
You
ewe
/ewe/
Name
lisina
/lisiːna/
Eye
liiso
/liːso/
Hand
kumukhono
/kumukʰono/
Heart
kumwoyo
/kumwojo/
Love
busiani
/busiani/
Tree
kumusaala
/kumusaːla/
House
enju
/endʒu/
Dog
imbwa
/imbwa/
Cat
enyawu
/eɲawu/
Eat
khulya
/kʰuʎa/
Drink
khunywa
/kʰuɲwa/
One
ndala
/ndala/
Two
babili
/βaβili/
Hello
mulembe
/mulembe/
Thank you
orio
/orio/
Good
kalayi
/kalaji/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo languages
| Meaning | Bukusu | Masaaba | Luhya | Runyankole | Soga | Nyaturu | Chiga |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | kamatsi /kamatsi/ | kamaatsi /kamaːtsi/ | amatsi /amatsi/ | amaizi /amaizi/ | amaaji /amaːdʒi/ | maazi /maːzi/ | amaizi /amaizi/ |
| Fire | kamulilo /kamulilo/ | kamulilo /kamulilo/ | omuliro /omuliro/ | omuriro /omuriro/ | omuliro /omuliɾo/ | moto /moto/ | omuriro /omuriro/ |
| Sun | liuba /liuba/ | suuba /suːba/ | liuba /liuba/ | izooba /izoːba/ | enjuba /eɲɟuba/ | nzua /nzua/ | eizooba /eizoːba/ |
| Moon | kumwesi /kumwesi/ | umweesi /umweːsi/ | omwesi /omwesi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ | umweri /umweɾi/ | omwezi /omwezi/ |
| Star | kumunyeenye /kumuɲeːɲe/ | kumunyeenye /kumuɲeːɲe/ | eng'ining'ini /eŋiniŋini/ | enyonyoozi /eɲoɲoːzi/ | emunyeenye /emuɲeːɲe/ | nyeenyeeri /ɲeːɲeːri/ | enyonyoozi /eɲoɲoːzi/ |
| Mother | mayi /maji/ | mayi /maji/ | mayi /maji/ | maawe /maːwe/ | maama /maːma/ | mama /mama/ | nyina /ɲina/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | tata /tata/ | taata /taːta/ | tata /tata/ | ishe /iʃe/ |
| I | ese /ese/ | ise /ise/ | ese /ese/ | nyowe /ɲowe/ | nze /nze/ | une /une/ | nyowe /ɲowe/ |
| You | ewe /ewe/ | iwe /iwe/ | ewe /ewe/ | iwe /iwe/ | gwe /ɡwe/ | uwe /uwe/ | iwe /iwe/ |
| Name | lisina /lisiːna/ | lisiina /lisiːna/ | elira /elira/ | eiziina /eiziːna/ | erinnya /erinɲa/ | izina /izina/ | eiziina /eiziːna/ |
| Eye | liiso /liːso/ | liiso /liːso/ | liiso /liːso/ | eriiso /eriːso/ | eriiso /eɾiːso/ | iriiso /iɾiːso/ | eriisho /eriːʃo/ |
| Hand | kumukhono /kumukʰono/ | kumukhono /kumukʰono/ | omukhono /omukʰono/ | omukono /omukono/ | omukono /omukono/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | omukono /omukono/ |
| Heart | kumwoyo /kumwojo/ | umwoyo /umwojo/ | omwoyo /omwojo/ | omutima /omutima/ | omutima /omutima/ | umutima /umutima/ | omutima /omutima/ |
| Love | busiani /busiani/ | khusima /kʰusima/ | obuyanzi /obujanzi/ | rukundo /rukundo/ | kwagala /kwaɡala/ | butogwa /butoɡwa/ | kukunda /kukunda/ |
| Tree | kumusaala /kumusaːla/ | kumusaala /kumusaːla/ | omusala /omusala/ | omuti /omuti/ | omuti /omuti/ | umuti /umuti/ | omuti /omuti/ |
| House | enju /endʒu/ | nzu /nzu/ | enzu /enzu/ | enju /endʒu/ | enju /eɲɟu/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | enju /endʒu/ |
| Dog | imbwa /imbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | embwa /embwa/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | embwa /embwa/ |
| Cat | enyawu /eɲawu/ | paka /paka/ | lipusi /lipusi/ | kapa /kapa/ | enkaaku /eŋkaːku/ | paka /paka/ | kapa /kapa/ |
| Eat | khulya /kʰuʎa/ | khulya /kʰuʎa/ | khulia /kʰulia/ | kurya /kurja/ | kulya /kulja/ | kuria /kuɾia/ | kurya /kurja/ |
| Drink | khunywa /kʰuɲwa/ | khunywa /kʰuɲwa/ | khunywa /kʰuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲʷa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ |
| One | ndala /ndala/ | mulala /mulala/ | ndala /ndala/ | emwe /emwe/ | ndala /ndala/ | umwe /umwe/ | rumwe /rumwe/ |
| Two | babili /βaβili/ | babili /βaβili/ | tsibili /tsiβili/ | ibiri /iβiri/ | bbiri /biri/ | aviri /aβiri/ | ibiri /iβiri/ |
| Hello | mulembe /mulembe/ | mulembe /mulembe/ | mulembe /mulembe/ | agandi /aɡandi/ | mwaakire /mwaːkiɾe/ | mbukire /mbukiɾe/ | oraire /oraire/ |
| Thank you | orio /orio/ | ole nise /ole nise/ | orio /orio/ | webare /webare/ | weebale /weːbale/ | asante /aˈsante/ | webare /webare/ |
| Good | kalayi /kalaji/ | kalayi /kalaji/ | malayi /malaji/ | kirungi /kiruŋɡi/ | bulungi /buluŋɡi/ | kihi /kihi/ | kurungi /kuruŋɡi/ |
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