Kumam

Kumam is a member of the South Luo branch of the Western Nilotic language family. It is spoken by about 270,000 people mainly in the Teso sub-region in the Eastern Region of Uganda. Kumam speakers can be found particularly in the Kaberamaido District, and in the nearby Soroti District, in the west of the Teso sub-region. There are also Kumam speakers in the Dokolo Distict in the south of the Northern Region of Uganda.

Kumam is also known as Kumumm, Akokolemu, Akum, Ikokolemu or Ikumama, and is closley related to Acholi and Lango. It is written with the Latin alphabet, and there is a translation of the Bible in Kumam.

Kumam alphabet and pronunciation

Kumam alphabet and pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for Kumam (Excel) - Details of the Kumam alphabet provided by Michael Peter Füstumum

Notes

F, H, Q, V, X and Z are only used in loanwords and names.

Sample text

  1. En eko waco ne gi be, “Kame itienu ilega, wacunu be, “‘Papa, nyingi bed me awora. Wek Ajakanut ni bin.
  2. Mi wa ceng acelacel cam wa me buli ceng.
  3. Sasiro wa ki dub wa, bala kame wada osasiro kede jo dedede kame timo ne wa kirac. Kur iwek wa opot i atama.’ ”

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1441/LUK.11.BILK13

Translation

  1. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
  2. Give us day by day our daily bread.
  3. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
    The Lord's Prayer - Luke 11: 2-4

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.11.KJV

Sample videos in and about Kumam

Information about Kumam | Tower of Babel

Links

Information about the Kumam language
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumam_dialect
https://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/kumam.html
https://www.kumamculturalheritage.org/learn-kumam/
https://lughayangu.com/kumam
https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/kuma1275

Nilotic languages

Acholi, Adhola, Alur, Anuak, Ateso, Bari, Belanda Bor, Datooga, Dholuo, Dinka, Dongotono, Kakwa, Karamojong, Keiyo, Kipsigis, Kuku, Kumam, Kupsabiny, Lango (South Sudan), Lango (Uganda), Lopit, Lotuko, Maasai, Mandari, Markwet, Nandi, Nuer, Nyangatom, Nyepu, Terik, Toposa, Tugen, Turkana

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 14.10.25. Last modified: 14.10.25

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