Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Samburu language

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Native to
  
Kenya

ISO 639-3
  
saq

Dialects
  
Camus

Region
  
Samburu district of Rift Valley Province

Native speakers
  
240,000 (2009 census) (including Camus)

Language family
  
Nilo-Saharan? Eastern Saharan Eastern Nilotic Lotuxo–Teso Lotuxo–Maa Maa Samburu

Samburu is the Eastern Nilotic, North Maa language spoken by the Samburu in the highlands of northern Kenya. The Samburu number about 128,000 (or 147,000 including the Camus/Chamus). Samburu is closely related to Camus (88% to 94% lexical similarity; Camus is sometimes considered a Samburu dialect) and to the South Maa language Maasai (77% to 89% lexical similarity). The word Samburu itself derives from the old Maa word 'saamburr' for the leather bag the Samburu use.

References

Samburu language Wikipedia