About the project
The Ekegusii Dictionary is a community-supported project dedicated to preserving the language of the Abagusii people: its words, its tones and the sayings that carry its wisdom.
Definition
The Bantu language of the Abagusii, spoken in Kisii and Nyamira counties in south-western Kenya.
also called Gusii or Kisii
Why it exists
- Cost to use
- Free
Open to everyone, checked before it's public. That balance is what lets people rely on what they find here.
Contributed
Anyone can submit a word, its meanings, example sentences, a proverb or a recorded pronunciation.
Reviewed
Nothing goes live automatically. A verifier checks spelling, tone and meaning, and listens to every recording, before it's approved.
Published
Approved entries appear in the dictionary for everyone, free to use and credited to the people who gave them.
Open by default
Contributed words, recordings and proverbs are released under CC BY 4.0, and the code is MIT-licensed. Use them, build on them, just credit the Abagusii contributors.
Trust over volume
A smaller dictionary that is right beats a large one that isn't. The review step is slower, and it's what makes the record worth relying on.
Independent
The project runs on volunteer time and support from sponsors. Financial support never influences linguistic or editorial decisions.
Felix Makinda
Software Engineer
Lead Developer and Architect of the Ekegusii Dictionary platform. Passionate about using technology to bridge cultural gaps and preserve linguistic heritage.
Silas Mogendi
Teacher of English & Literature
Linguistic Consultant and Content Lead. Dedicated to ensuring the accuracy, tonal precision, and cultural context of every entry in the dictionary.
The dictionary grows with the people who speak Ekegusii. Add words, record pronunciations or share proverbs. Every entry is reviewed before it's published.