Page Type: languageBurunge | Ethnologue

BDS ISO 639-3

Burunge

Burungaisoo Autonym

A language of Tanzania

ISO 639
bds
Alternate Names
Bulunge, Burunga Iso, Burungee, Burungi, Kiburunge, Mbulungi, Mbulungwe
Autonym
Burungaisoo
Population
28,000 (Mradi wa Lugha za Tanzania 2009). Ethnic population: 30,000 (Dimmendaal and Voeltz 2007).
Location:
Dodoma region: Kondoa district, Chambalo, Goima, and Mirambu villages; Manyara region.
Language Status
6a (Vigorous).
Classification
Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, South
Dialects
None known. 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 and Mous 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. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Also use Langi [lag]. Also use Swahili [swh].
Language Development
No L1 literacy rate reported. Transitional and basic literacy taught for about 10 years. Literature. Newspapers. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 2016.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Burunge
Writing
Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments
Christian, Muslim, traditional religion.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: Dodoma region: Kondoa district, Chambalo, Goima, and Mirambu villages; Manyara region.