Here are names of 10 common rodents in Bukusu language + Bonus: Bukusu names of animals thought to be rodents, but are scientifically not rodents.
Emuna
Esabale
Yabunje
In Bukusu culture, this rat is said to be the ‘royal rat’ for its strange habit of having its resting nest littered with money. Curious to know more about yabunje? Meet yabunje the royal rat: Of gold diggers, wealth charmers and stealing from neighbors.
Emata
Kanyuru
Enjekeche
Embeba
In Bukusu language, there’s no much distinction between the household rat and the mouse. To us, they are both embeba or chimbeba in plural. And oh, chimbeba a curious animal this one in Bukusu culture. Do you know of the Bukusu saying kulia chimbeba?
Bonus: Bukusu names of animals thought to be rodents, but are scientifically not rodents
Efukho
Any keen Swahili speaker will quickly correctly guess that efukho is the Lubukusu name for ‘fuko’, the mole. The mole is a member of the mammalian order Insectivora. Growing up, we christened my little sister efukho for her bath aversion antics that were much as evasive the mole. Beyond these childhood teases, efukho is a much loved Luhya delicacy. It is also the inspiration behind the common Luhya name for boys Wafukho.
Mwaka
Mwaka is the Bukusu name for anteater, an insectivorous mammal.
Enduyu
Enduyu is the Bukusu name rabbit. While most small mammals are rodents, the rabbit and ferrets belong to lagomorphs order which is related to, but distinct from the rodents.
There you go! These are the names of 10 common rodents in Bukusu language. Learn more Bukusu below by getting to know the name of insects, birds, caterpillars and even some 25+ Bukusu idioms about the dog.
Related:
- Name of birds in Bukusu: 50+ Names of birds in Bukusu of the Luhya of East Africa
- Name of insects in Bukusu: Names of crawling creatures, tinny beings, bugs and insects in Bukusu
- Types of caterpillars in Bukusu: From caterpillars that sooth children to those that bring death: All about lisa (caterpillars) among the Bukusu
- The dog and more: 25+ clever Bukusu idioms about the dog: Expand your vocabulary and learn the meaning of expressions and sayings about the dog – embwa
About Bukusu language
Bukusu language or Lubukusu is the tongue of Babukusu, the largest of the 18 houses of mulembe. Learn how to speak Bukusu language through our free lessons in Bukusu language; our stories on Bukusu culture that harness the richness of Lubukusu in their narrative; our continuous search for the meaning of different Bukusu proverbs and sayings; and if your Lubukusu is already good enough, sharpen and challenge yourself with our new blog sibukusu that covers everything Bukusu in the purest Lubukusu.
Get started with our mega post: 130+ common Bukusu words and phrases their meaning, translation and pronunciation.
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