Kikuyu or Gikuyu (Gikuyu: Gĩkũyũ[ɣēkōjó]) is a Bantu language spoken by the Gĩkũyũ (Agĩkũyũ) of Kenya. Kikuyu is mainly spoken in the area between Nyeri and Nairobi. The Kikuyu people usually identify their lands by the surrounding mountain ranges in Central Kenya which they call Kĩrĩnyaga. The Gikuyu language is intelligibly similar to its surrounding neighbors, the Meru and Embu.
Kikuyu has four main mutually intelligible dialects. The Central Province districts are divided along the traditional boundaries of these dialects, which are Kĩrĩnyaga, Mũrang'a, Nyeri and Kiambu. The Kikuyu from Kĩrĩnyaga are composed of two main sub-dialects – the Ndia and Gichugu who speak the dialects Kĩndia and Gĩgĩcũgũ. The Gicugus and the Ndias do not have the "ch" or "sh" sound, and will use the "s" sound instead, hence the pronunciation of "Gĩcũgũ" as opposed to "Gĩchũgũ". To hear Ndia being spoken, one needs to be in Kerugoya, the largest town in Kirinyaga County. Other home towns for the Ndia, where "purer" forms of the dialect are spoken, are located in the tea-growing areas of Kagumo, Baricho, Kagio, and the Kangaita hills. Lower down the slopes is Kutus, which is a bustling town with so many influences from the other dialects that it is difficult to distinguish between them. The dialect is also prevalent in the rice growing area of Mwea.
The unmistakable tonal patterns of the Gichũgũ dialect (which sounds like Meru or Embu, sister languages to Kikuyu) can be heard in the coffee-growing areas of Kianyaga, Gĩthũre, Kathũngũri, Marigiti. The Gichugu switch easily to other Kikuyu dialects in conversation with the rest of the Kikuyu.
Phonologyedit
Symbols shown in parentheses are those used in the orthography.
Some sounds are represented by digraphs such as ng for the velar nasal /ŋ/.
Sample phrasesedit
English
Gĩkũyũ
How are you
Ũhoro waku or kũhana atĩa?
Give me water
He maĩ
How are you doing?
Ũrĩ mwega? or Wĩ mwega
I am hungry
Ndĩ mũhũtu
Help me
Ndeithia
I am good
Ndĩ mwega
Are you a friend?
Wĩ mũrata?
Bye, be blessed
Tigwo na wega/Tigwo na thaayũ
I love you
Nĩngwendete.
Come here
Ũka haha
I will phone you
Nĩngũkũhũrĩra thimũ
I give thanks
Nĩndacokia ngatho
Am blessed
Ndĩmũrathime
Give me money
He mbeca / He mbia
Stop nonsense
Tiga wana /tiga ũrimũ
Don't laugh
Ndũgatheke
You are learned
Wĩ mũthomu
Thank you
Thengiũ/ Nĩ wega
Go in peace
Thiĩ na thaayũ
Day
Mũthenya
Night
Ũtukũ
God
Ngai
Literatureedit
There is notable literature written in the Kikuyu language. For instance, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o's Mũrogi wa Kagogo (Wizard of the Crow) is the longest known book written in Kikuyu. Other authors writing in Kikuyu are Gatua wa Mbũgwa and Waithĩra wa Mbuthia. Mbuthia has published various works in different genres—essays, poetry, children stories and translations—in Kikuyu. The late Wahome Mutahi also sometimes wrote in Kikuyu. Also, Gakaara wa Wanjaũ wrote his popular book, Mau Mau Author in Detention, which won a Noma Award in 1984.[6]
^Kevin C. Ford, 1975. "The tones of nouns in Kikuyu," Studies in African Linguistics 6, 49–64; G.N. Clements & Kevin C. Ford, 1979, "Kikuyu Tone Shift and its Synchronic Consequences", Linguistic Inquiry 10.2, 179–210.
^. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo (1986). Decolonising the mind : the politics of language in African literature. London. p. 24. ISBN0-435-08016-4. OCLC 13333403.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Feldmann, Compiled from Wire Service Dispatches with Analysis from Monitor Correspondents Around the World, Edited by Linda (28 July 1983). "In Kenya, audiences roar at language in 'Jedi' film". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 24 June 2017. {{cite news}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Bibliographyedit
Armstrong, Lilias E. 1967. The Phonetic and Tonal Structure of Kikuyu. London: Published for the International African Institute by Dawsons of Pall Mall.
Barlow, A. Ruffell and T. G. Benson. 1975. English-Kikuyu Dictionary. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Barlow, A. Ruffell. 1951. Studies in Kikuyu Grammar and Idiom. Edinburgh: William Blackwood & Sons,
Benson, T. G. 1964. Kikuyu–English Dictionary. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Gecaga B. M. and Kirkaldy-Willis W.H. 1953. English–Kikuyu, Kikuyu–English Vocabulary. Nairobi: The Eagle Press.
Leakey L. S. B. 1989. First Lessons in Kikuyu. Nairobi: Kenya Literature Bureau.
Mugane John 1997. A Paradigmatic Grammar of Gikuyu. Stanford, California: CSLI publications.
External linksedit
Kikuyu edition of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert Englebretson (ed.), "A Basic Sketch Grammar of Gĩkũyũ", 2015.
Gikuyu alphabet and pronunciation at Omniglot
Muigwithania 2.0 – First Kikuyu Newspaper revived on the Internet
Gikuyu blog
(Wiki Created by Linguistic Field Methods Course at UMass Amherst)
First Course in Kikuyu (vol. 1; see ref. for v2 & v3)
My First Gikuyu Dictionary
December 13, 2023
kikuyu, language, kikuyu, gikuyu, gikuyu, gĩkũyũ, ɣēkōjó, bantu, language, spoken, gĩkũyũ, agĩkũyũ, kenya, kikuyu, mainly, spoken, area, between, nyeri, nairobi, kikuyu, people, usually, identify, their, lands, surrounding, mountain, ranges, central, kenya, wh. Kikuyu or Gikuyu Gikuyu Gĩkũyũ ɣekōjo is a Bantu language spoken by the Gĩkũyũ Agĩkũyũ of Kenya Kikuyu is mainly spoken in the area between Nyeri and Nairobi The Kikuyu people usually identify their lands by the surrounding mountain ranges in Central Kenya which they call Kĩrĩnyaga The Gikuyu language is intelligibly similar to its surrounding neighbors the Meru and Embu KikuyuGĩgĩkũyũPronunciation ɣekōjo Native toKenyaRegionCentral ProvinceEthnicityAgĩkũyũNative speakers6 6 million 2009 census 1 Language familyNiger Congo Atlantic CongoVolta CongoBenue CongoBantoidSouthern BantoidBantuNortheast BantuThagiicuWest ThagiicuKikuyu EmbuKikuyuDialectsGichugu Mathira Ndia Northern Gikuyu Southern GikuyuLanguage codesISO 639 1 span class plainlinks ki span ISO 639 2 span class plainlinks kik span ISO 639 3 a href https iso639 3 sil org code kik class extiw title iso639 3 kik kik a Glottologkiku1240Guthrie codeE 51 2 This article contains IPA phonetic symbols Without proper rendering support you may see question marks boxes or other symbols instead of Unicode characters For an introductory guide on IPA symbols see Help IPA PersonMũGĩkũyũPeopleAGĩkũyũLanguageGĩGĩkũyũCountryBũrũrĩ Wa Gĩkũyũ Contents 1 Dialects 2 Phonology 2 1 Vowels 2 2 Consonants 2 3 Tones 3 Grammar 4 Alphabet 5 Sample phrases 6 Literature 7 In popular culture 8 References 9 Bibliography 10 External linksDialects editKikuyu has four main mutually intelligible dialects The Central Province districts are divided along the traditional boundaries of these dialects which are Kĩrĩnyaga Mũrang a Nyeri and Kiambu The Kikuyu from Kĩrĩnyaga are composed of two main sub dialects the Ndia and Gichugu who speak the dialects Kĩndia and Gĩgĩcũgũ The Gicugus and the Ndias do not have the ch or sh sound and will use the s sound instead hence the pronunciation of Gĩcũgũ as opposed to Gĩchũgũ To hear Ndia being spoken one needs to be in Kerugoya the largest town in Kirinyaga County Other home towns for the Ndia where purer forms of the dialect are spoken are located in the tea growing areas of Kagumo Baricho Kagio and the Kangaita hills Lower down the slopes is Kutus which is a bustling town with so many influences from the other dialects that it is difficult to distinguish between them The dialect is also prevalent in the rice growing area of Mwea The unmistakable tonal patterns of the Gichũgũ dialect which sounds like Meru or Embu sister languages to Kikuyu can be heard in the coffee growing areas of Kianyaga Gĩthũre Kathũngũri Marigiti The Gichugu switch easily to other Kikuyu dialects in conversation with the rest of the Kikuyu Phonology editSymbols shown in parentheses are those used in the orthography Vowels edit Front Central BackHigh i uMid high e ĩ o ũ Mid low ɛ e ɔ o Low aConsonants edit Bilabial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar GlottalPlosive voiceless t t k k voiced prenasalised ᵐb mb ⁿd nd ᵑɡ ng Affricate ᶮdʒ nj Nasal m m n n ɲ ny ŋ ng Fricative voiceless ʃ c h h voiced b b d th ɣ g Liquid ɾ r Approximant j y w w The prenasalized consonants are often pronounced without prenasalization and thus ᵐb ⁿd ᶮdʒ ᵑɡ are often realized as b d dʒ ɡ Tones edit Kikuyu has two level tones high and low a low high rising tone and downstep 3 Grammar editThe canonical word order of Gĩkũyũ is SVO subject verb object It uses prepositions rather than postpositions and adjectives follow nouns 4 Alphabet editKikuyu is written in a Latin alphabet It does not use the letters l f p q s v x z and adds the letters ĩ and ũ The Kikuyu alphabet is a b c d e g h i ĩ j k m n o r t u ũ w y 5 Some sounds are represented by digraphs such as ng for the velar nasal ŋ Sample phrases editEnglish GĩkũyũHow are you Ũhoro waku or kũhana atĩa Give me water He maĩHow are you doing Ũrĩ mwega or Wĩ mwegaI am hungry Ndĩ mũhũtuHelp me NdeithiaI am good Ndĩ mwegaAre you a friend Wĩ mũrata Bye be blessed Tigwo na wega Tigwo na thaayũI love you Nĩngwendete Come here Ũka hahaI will phone you Nĩngũkũhũrĩra thimũI give thanks Nĩndacokia ngathoAm blessed NdĩmũrathimeGive me money He mbeca He mbiaStop nonsense Tiga wana tiga ũrimũDon t laugh NdũgathekeYou are learned Wĩ mũthomuThank you Thengiũ Nĩ wegaGo in peace Thiĩ na thaayũDay MũthenyaNight ŨtukũGod NgaiLiterature editThere is notable literature written in the Kikuyu language For instance Ngũgĩ wa Thiong o s Mũrogi wa Kagogo Wizard of the Crow is the longest known book written in Kikuyu Other authors writing in Kikuyu are Gatua wa Mbũgwa and Waithĩra wa Mbuthia Mbuthia has published various works in different genres essays poetry children stories and translations in Kikuyu The late Wahome Mutahi also sometimes wrote in Kikuyu Also Gakaara wa Wanjaũ wrote his popular book Mau Mau Author in Detention which won a Noma Award in 1984 6 In popular culture editIn the 1983 movie Star Wars Episode VI Return of the Jedi the character Nien Nunb speaks in the Kikuyu language 7 References edit Kikuyu at Ethnologue 18th ed 2015 subscription required Jouni Filip Maho 2009 New Updated Guthrie List Online Kevin C Ford 1975 The tones of nouns in Kikuyu Studies in African Linguistics 6 49 64 G N Clements amp Kevin C Ford 1979 Kikuyu Tone Shift and its Synchronic Consequences Linguistic Inquiry 10 2 179 210 Wals info Archived copy Archived from the original on 9 June 2020 Retrieved 21 March 2009 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo 1986 Decolonising the mind the politics of language in African literature London p 24 ISBN 0 435 08016 4 OCLC 13333403 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Feldmann Compiled from Wire Service Dispatches with Analysis from Monitor Correspondents Around the World Edited by Linda 28 July 1983 In Kenya audiences roar at language in Jedi film Christian Science Monitor ISSN 0882 7729 Retrieved 24 June 2017 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a first has generic name help CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Bibliography editArmstrong Lilias E 1967 The Phonetic and Tonal Structure of Kikuyu London Published for the International African Institute by Dawsons of Pall Mall Barlow A Ruffell and T G Benson 1975 English Kikuyu Dictionary Oxford Clarendon Press Barlow A Ruffell 1951 Studies in Kikuyu Grammar and Idiom Edinburgh William Blackwood amp Sons Benson T G 1964 Kikuyu English Dictionary Oxford Clarendon Press Gecaga B M and Kirkaldy Willis W H 1953 English Kikuyu Kikuyu English Vocabulary Nairobi The Eagle Press Leakey L S B 1989 First Lessons in Kikuyu Nairobi Kenya Literature Bureau Mugane John 1997 A Paradigmatic Grammar of Gikuyu Stanford California CSLI publications External links edit nbsp Kikuyu edition of Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Robert Englebretson ed A Basic Sketch Grammar of Gĩkũyũ 2015 Gikuyu alphabet and pronunciation at Omniglot African Language Resources Muigwithania 2 0 First Kikuyu Newspaper revived on the Internet PanAfrican L10n page on Gikuyu Gikuyu blog Gĩkũyũ Language Page Wiki Created by Linguistic Field Methods Course at UMass Amherst First Course in Kikuyu vol 1 see ref for v2 amp v3 My First Gikuyu Dictionary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kikuyu language amp oldid 1176387144, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
