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LingoBear creates short Kanuri passages on topics you choose. Tap any word for an instant English translation and build your vocabulary as you read. Nilo-Saharan (Saharan) language of the Lake Chad basin, historic language of the Kanem–Bornu empire, Latin and Ajami scripts, ~9.5M speakers.

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What is Kanuri and where is it spoken?

Kanuri is a Nilo-Saharan language of the Saharan branch, with around 9.5 million speakers in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. Historically it was the court language of the Kanem–Bornu empire (9th–19th centuries), one of the longest-lasting states in African history. The main literary varieties today are Yerwa (Maiduguri) Kanuri and Manga Kanuri.

What scripts does Kanuri use?

Kanuri has been written in Ajami (a modified Arabic script) since the early Islamic period, and in a Latin alphabet since the colonial era. The Latin orthography uses standard letters plus some accented vowels and consonants like ɓ, ɗ, ƙ to mark glottalised stops. Grammar uses SOV word order, postpositions, and a system of nominal suffixes for case.