Learn how to say the time of day in Bukusu

How does one say the time of day in Bukusu? Today we learn the Lubukusu words for morning, day time, evening and night.

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A synopsis on the cultural importance of time of day among the Bukusu

The most prominent cultural significance of the time of day in Bukusu culture regards time of death. It was considered a bad omen for an elderly person to die when the sun was up. If it happened like so, Bukusu death rituals stipulated that the death be kept secret and be announced only when the sun had gone down. Further, to date, persons of stature are only buried once the sun has started going down – usually past 3 pm.

On the converse, victims of special deaths such as suicide are buried at night under the cover of darkness. On a lighter note, mornings are an important period during the Bukusu circumcision ceremony. Initiates make a symbolic final trip to the river (before becoming men) in the cold of the morning just before their circumcision. There they take a bath and are smeared with a mixture of cow dung and mud. Afterwards, they head on straight to face the knife.

Sibuyi

c-bu-yi

Morning in English it is. Asubuhi it is in Swahili.

Kumuusi

Ku-muu-si

Refers to day time. In comparison to English nomenclature, kumuusi corresponds to the time of day after morning and before evening. Therefore kumuusi includes the periods of mid morning, noon and afternoon.

Akoloba

A-kolo-ba

Akoloba in Lubukusu is the time of day that corresponds to evening. For the same period, the Maragoli would say, ‘hamgorova’.

Silo

c-lo

Refers to the night.

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