Mbugu people
Wambugu | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 60,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Tanzania
| |
| Languages | |
| Mbugu, Pare, Shambaa & Swahili | |
| Religion | |
| Majority Christianity, Minority Islam and African Traditional Religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Shambaa, Zigua, Pare & other Bantu peoples |
| Person | Mbugu |
|---|---|
| People | Wambugu |
| Language | Kimbugu |
The Mbugu people, also known as the Va'maa, Ma'a (Wambugu, in Swahili) are an ethnic Bantu and linguistic group hailing from western Usambara Mountains of Lushoto District in Tanga Region of Tanzania. Tanzania's Mbugu (or Ma'á) language is one of the few true hybrid languages, combining Bantu grammar with Cushitic lexicon. In actuality, the people speak two languages: one closely related to Pare and the other mixed (differing from the first mainly in the lexicon). They are approximately 60,000 living Mbugu people.