Burunge

Print

A language of Tanzania

ISO 639-3
bds
Alternate Names
Bulunge, Burungi, Kiburunge
Population

13,000 (2002). Ethnic population: 30,000 (Dimmendaal and Voeltz 2007).

Location

Dodoma Region, Kondoa district, southeast of Langi [lag] language area, Goima, Chambalo, and Mirambu villages.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, South
Dialects

Lexically similar with Gorowa [gow] and Iraqw [irk], 65% with Alagwa [wbj] (Aweki 1996); relatively high similarity between Alagwa and Burunge, despite their belonging to separate branches of the same language family according to their grammars (Kiessling 2003).

Typology

SOV; prepositions, genitives, articles, adjectives, numerals, relatives after noun heads; 5 suffixes; verbal suffixes mark person, number, gender of subject; preverbal clitics mark person of subject; causatives; CV, CVV, CVC (restriction on second CCV); tonal

Language Use

Formerly felt inhibited to speak Burunge in public, but now less common as more and more publications are printed in Burunge. Home, field, some in churches. All ages. Positive attitudes. Also use Swahili [swh] or Langi [lag].

Language Development
No L1 literacy rate reported. Transitional and basic literacy taught for about 10 years. Poetry. Newspapers. Grammar. Bible portions: 2008–2011.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Burunge
Writing
Latin script.
Other Comments

Christian, traditional religion, Muslim.