Kanuri is a Nilo-Saharan language which is spoken by about 4 million people in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
Classification
Kanuri belongs to the Western Saharan subphylum of Nilo-Saharan. It is considered by some (including SIL) to be a family of closely related languages.
Geographic distribution
Kanuri is spoken mainly in the region of Bornu, with speakers in Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan. Most speakers speak Hausa or Arabic as a second language. Traditionally a local lingua franca, its usage has declined in recent decades.
Dialects
- Central Kanuri
- Kanembu
- Manga Kanuri
- Tumari Kanuri
Grammar
Kanuri sentences follow Subject Object Verb word order.
Writing system
Kanuri uses the Ajami script .
External link
