Kalenjin
Nilo-Saharan (Eastern Nilotic)
Kalenjin is a cover term for several mutually intelligible Southern Nilotic varieties spoken in Kenya's Rift Valley by ~5M, including Kipsigis, Nandi, Tugen, Keiyo, Pokot, Marakwet, and Sabaot. Politically prominent: Kenya's first president Daniel arap Moi was Tugen, and Kalenjin athletes dominate world long-distance running (Kipchoge, Cheruiyot, Komen). The unified Kalenjin literary standard was developed in 1969 to publish a Bible translation. Tonal Nilotic with a 9-vowel ATR harmony system. Latin orthography.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Kalenjin
Water
beek
/beːk/
Fire
maat
/maːt/
Sun
asis
/asis/
Moon
arawa
/arawa/
Mother
ee'yu
/eːju/
Father
kwanda
/kwanda/
Eat
am
/am/
Drink
ee
/eː/
Love
chamuga
/tʃamuɡa/
Heart
muguleldo
/muɡuleldo/
Tree
keetit
/keːtit/
House
gaa
/ɡaː/
Dog
ses
/ses/
Cat
paka
/paka/
Hand
euondap
/euondap/
Eye
kosit
/kosit/
Hello
chamege
/tʃameɡe/
Thank you
kongoi
/koŋoi/
One
agenge
/aɡeŋe/
Good
karaaran
/karaːran/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Nilo-Saharan (Eastern Nilotic) languages
| Meaning | Kalenjin | Beja | Asu | Khotanese | Hazaragi | Mường | Bishnupriya Manipuri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | beek /beːk/ | yam /jam/ | mende /mende/ | 𑀊𑀤𑀸 /uːdaː/ | آو /ɑːw/ | đác /ɗaːk/ | পানি /paːni/ |
| Fire | maat /maːt/ | neʼaat /neʔaːt/ | mshika /mʃika/ | 𑀆𑀢𑀭 /aːtar/ | آتش /ɑːtaʃ/ | lửa /lɨə/ | আগুন /aːɡun/ |
| Sun | asis /asis/ | yint /jint/ | nyu /ɲu/ | 𑀉𑀭𑁆𑀫 /urma/ | آفتو /ɑːftow/ | mặt côi /mət koːi/ | বিল /bil/ |
| Moon | arawa /arawa/ | tirig /tiɾiɡ/ | mwezi /mwezi/ | 𑀫𑀸𑀲𑁆𑀢 /maːsta/ | مه /maː/ | rằng /raŋ/ | জুনাক /dʒunak/ |
| Mother | ee'yu /eːju/ | indee /iːndeː/ | mama /mama/ | 𑀫𑀸𑀢 /maːta/ | آبه /ɑːba/ | mệ /meː/ | মা /maː/ |
| Father | kwanda /kwanda/ | baab /baːb/ | baba /baba/ | 𑀧𑀺𑀢 /pita/ | آته /ɑːta/ | bố /bo/ | বাবা /baːba/ |
| Eat | am /am/ | tame /tame/ | kurya /kuɾja/ | 𑀧𑀭𑀢 /parætæ/ | خوردو /xoɾdoː/ | ăn /an/ | খাব /kʰaːb/ |
| Drink | ee /eː/ | gwaʼa /ɡʷaʕa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | 𑀧𑀻𑀅 /piːa/ | نوشیدو /noʃidoː/ | uống /uəŋ/ | পান কর /paːn kaɾ/ |
| Love | chamuga /tʃamuɡa/ | kima /kima/ | lumba /lumba/ | 𑀅𑀭𑁆𑀭𑀽 /arːuː/ | عشق /eʃq/ | thương /tʰɨəŋ/ | মায়া /maja/ |
| Heart | muguleldo /muɡuleldo/ | ginʼa /ɡinʕa/ | ngiti /ŋɡiti/ | 𑀬𑀲𑀻 /jasiː/ | دل /dil/ | tlái côi /tlaːi koːi/ | মন /mon/ |
| Tree | keetit /keːtit/ | hindeb /hindeb/ | mti /mti/ | 𑀤𑁆𑀭𑀼 /drːu/ | درخت /daɾaxt/ | cẳl /kal/ | গাছ /ɡaːtʃʰ/ |
| House | gaa /ɡaː/ | gaw /ɡaw/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | 𑀩𑁆𑀬𑀸𑀳 /bjaːha/ | خانه /xɑːna/ | nhà /ɲaː/ | ঘর /ɡʱaɾ/ |
| Dog | ses /ses/ | yas /jas/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | 𑀰𑀼 /ʂu/ | سگ /seɡ/ | chó /tʃɔ/ | কুট্টা /kuʈːaː/ |
| Cat | paka /paka/ | kabsoot /kabsoːt/ | paka /paka/ | 𑀰𑁆𑀰𑁆𑀭𑀅𑀼 /ʂʂarau/ | پشک /poʃak/ | meo /meo/ | বিল্লি /bilːi/ |
| Hand | euondap /euondap/ | ay /aj/ | mkono /mkono/ | 𑀤𑀲𑁆𑀢 /dasta/ | دست /dast/ | thay /tʰaːi/ | হাত /haːt/ |
| Eye | kosit /kosit/ | liili /liːli/ | jicho /dʒitʃo/ | 𑀘𑁂𑀰𑁆𑀫𑀦𑁆 /tʃʰeʃman/ | چم /tʃam/ | mặt /mət/ | চোখ /tʃokʰ/ |
| Hello | chamege /tʃameɡe/ | salaam /salaːm/ | shiloi /ʃiloi/ | 𑀤𑁆𑀭𑀽𑀤𑀻 /drːuːdiː/ | سلام /salom/ | đám rộ /ɗaːm roː/ | নমস্কার /nomoskar/ |
| Thank you | kongoi /koŋoi/ | baraʼoo /baɾaʕoː/ | mwasanga /mwasaŋɡa/ | 𑀧𑁆𑀬𑀰𑁆𑀢 /pjaʃta/ | تشکر /taʃakkur/ | cám ơn /kaːm ɤn/ | ধইন্যবাদ /dʱoinjobaːd/ |
| One | agenge /aɡeŋe/ | gaal /ɡaːl/ | imwe /imwe/ | 𑀰𑁆𑀰𑀅𑀼 /ɕːau/ | یک /jak/ | mộch /moːtʃ/ | এক /ek/ |
| Good | karaaran /karaːran/ | dabaab /dabaːb/ | mwamba /mwamba/ | 𑀯𑀺𑀭𑀢𑁆𑀢 /viratːa/ | خو /xoː/ | lành /laːɲ/ | ভালা /bʱaːlaː/ |
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