| Also Known As: Bukusu Language,Lubukusu
Description:
Bukusu (native name: Lubukusu) is a Bantu language spoken by the Bukusu people of western Kenya. It is one of the related languages of the Luhya people. The language is, however, more closely related to the Gisu and Masaaba languages of Eastern Uganda, and is mutually intelligible with those two languages.
The language has three main variations:
Of these, the language spoken around Kitale town is usually considered the purest form - this is because the other two dialects are significantly influenced by other dialects of the Luhya languages.
The Bukusu people live in Bungoma district, which borders Uganda to the west and Kakamega district of Kenya to the east. Across the border in Uganda live the BaMasaaba and the BaGisu, both closely related to the Bukusu by a shared language and a common culture. Intermarriage between the Bukusu and these Ugandan tribes is very common and is, in fact, encouraged by the respective communities. As a result, many Bukusu have close relatives among the BaGisu and BaMasaaba, and vice versa.
During the Ugandan civil wars of the 1970s, many of the BaGisu and BaMasaaba left Uganda for Kenya, mainly to live with Bukusu relatives around the Bungoma area...... full article at Wikipedia |
