Kanuri language

Kanuri
Kànùrí
كَنُرِيِه
Native to
RegionLake Chad
EthnicityKanuri
Kanembu
Native speakers
10.6 million (2019–2024)
Latin
Arabic (Ajami)
Language codes
ISO 639-1kr
ISO 639-2kau
ISO 639-3kau – inclusive code
Individual codes:
knc – Central Kanuri
kby – Manga Kanuri
krt – Tumari Kanuri
bms – Bilma Kanuri
kbl – Kanembu
txj – Old Kanembu
Glottologkanu1279
Linguasphere(+Kanembu 02-AAA-b) 02-AAA-a (+Kanembu 02-AAA-b)
Map of the majority usage of the five major languages of the Kanuri language group.
  KRT Kanuri, Tumari
  BMS Kanuri, Bilma
  KBY Kanuri, Manga
  KNC Kanuri, Central
  KBL Kanembu

Kanuri (/kəˈnʊəri/; endonym: Kànùrí (Latin script), كَنُرِيِه (Ajami)) is a Saharan dialect continuum of the Nilo–Saharan language family spoken by the Kanuri and Kanembu peoples in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, as well as by a diaspora community residing in Sudan.