Kanuri

Kanuri may refer to:

• Kanuri people: The Kanuri people are an ethnic group primarily residing in northeastern Nigeria, southeastern Niger, and northern Cameroon, and other parts of West African Countries. They have a rich cultural heritage and a significant historical connection to the Kanuri Empire, also known as the Bornu Empire. The Kanuri Empire, which existed from the 9th to the 19th century, was founded by the Saifawa dynasty, claiming descent from the Kanem-Bornu Empire that preceded it. The Kanuri people played a crucial role in the formation and development of the Kanuri Empire. They embraced Islam, which became the dominant religion of the empire, shaping its culture, laws, and institutions. The empire's rulers, known as the Mai, held both political and religious authority, and the empire had a well-organized administrative system. In relation to the Kanuri Empire, the Kanuri people were primarily engaged in trade, agriculture, and fishing. The fertile lands around Lake Chad supported their agricultural activities, where they cultivated crops such as millet, sorghum, and rice. The empire's strategic location along the Trans-Saharan trade routes allowed the Kanuri people to control and benefit from the trade of goods such as salt, gold, and slaves. The Kanuri people also contributed to the military strength of the empire. They formed the backbone of the empire's army, which consisted of both infantry and cavalry. Their advanced military tactics and weaponry helped the empire defend its borders, expand its territory, and exert influence over neighboring states. Today, the Kanuri people continue to exist in the region, maintaining their cultural practices and speaking the Kanuri language. Their historical legacy and significant contributions to the Kanuri Empire are recognized and celebrated, serving as a reminder of the empire's enduring impact on the region's history and culture.
• Kanuri language, spoken by the Kanuri people. Kanuri, or Barebari as it is also known, is a Saharan dialect continuum of the Nilo-Saharan language family. It is spoken by the Kanuri and Kanembu peoples in Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, as well as by a diaspora community residing in Sudan. At the turn of the 21st century, Kanuri had two main dialects: Manga Kanuri and Yerwa Kanuri, which is also called Beriberi. The Kanuri language is associated with the Kanem and Bornu empires that dominated the Lake Chad region for a thousand years. It has its own unique grammatical features, including a subject-object-verb word order and the simultaneous use of postpositions and post-nominal modifiers. For example, to express "Bintu's pot," one would say "nje Bintu-be," which means "pot Bintu-of" in Kanuri. Kanuri has three tones: high, low, and falling, and it also has an extensive system of consonantal lenition.The geographic distribution of Kanuri extends across the lowlands of the Chad Basin, with speakers found in Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, and Libya. In Nigeria, the Kanuri region consists of Borno State and Yobe State, with other states like Jigawa, Gombe, and Bauchi also having significant Kanuri populations. Cities and towns where Kanuri is spoken include Maiduguri, Damaturu, Hadejia, Kano, Kaduna, and Jos. Overall, the Kanuri language is an integral part of the cultural identity of the Kanuri and Kanembu peoples. Its historical association with the Kanem and Bornu empires and its continued usage in various regions highlight its significance in the linguistic landscape of Central Africa.