Kalenjin
Nilo-Saharan (Eastern Sudanic, Nilotic, Southern Nilotic — Kalenjin cluster)
Kalenjin is a Southern Nilotic language cluster of the Nilo-Saharan family, spoken by the Kalenjin people mainly in the Rift Valley region of Kenya, with smaller communities in Uganda and Tanzania. It has around 5 million speakers and comprises closely related varieties such as Nandi, Kipsigis, Keiyo, Tugen, Marakwet and Sabaot. Written in the Latin script, it is a tonal language and, like other Nilotic languages, uses vowel harmony based on tongue-root (ATR) position.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Kalenjin
Water
beek
/beːk/
Fire
maat
/maːt/
Sun
asis
/asis/
Moon
arawa
/arawa/
Star
kokeel
/koˈkeːl/
Mother
ee'yu
/eːju/
Father
kwanda
/kwanda/
I
anee
/aneː/
You
inyee
/iɲeː/
Name
kaina
/kaina/
Eye
konda
/kɔnda/
Hand
eut
/eut/
Heart
muguleldo
/muɡuleldo/
Love
chamuga
/tʃamuɡa/
Tree
keetit
/keːtit/
House
gaa
/ɡaː/
Dog
ses
/ses/
Cat
paka
/paka/
Eat
am
/am/
Drink
ee
/eː/
One
agenge
/aɡeŋe/
Two
aeng'
/aeŋ/
Hello
chamege
/tʃameɡe/
Thank you
kongoi
/koŋoi/
Good
karaaran
/karaːran/
Words compared
Compared with related Nilo-Saharan (Eastern Sudanic, Nilotic, Southern Nilotic — Kalenjin cluster) languages
| Meaning | Kalenjin | Nyaturu | Khotanese | Beja | Akkadian | Brahui | Masaaba |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | beek /beːk/ | maazi /maːzi/ | 𑀊𑀤𑀸 /uːdaː/ | yam /jam/ | 𒈬 /muː/ | دیر /diːɾ/ | kamaatsi /kamaːtsi/ |
| Fire | maat /maːt/ | moto /moto/ | 𑀆𑀢𑀭 /aːtar/ | neʼaat /neʔaːt/ | 𒉈𒌋 /iʃaːtu/ | کاہا /kaha/ | kamulilo /kamulilo/ |
| Sun | asis /asis/ | nzua /nzua/ | 𑀉𑀭𑁆𑀫 /urma/ | yint /jint/ | 𒀭𒌓 /ʃamʃu/ | دے /deː/ | suuba /suːba/ |
| Moon | arawa /arawa/ | umweri /umweɾi/ | 𑀫𑀸𑀲𑁆𑀢 /maːsta/ | tirig /tiɾiɡ/ | 𒌗 /warχu/ | ماہ /mah/ | umweesi /umweːsi/ |
| Star | kokeel /koˈkeːl/ | nyeenyeeri /ɲeːɲeːri/ | 𑀲𑁆𑀢𑀸𑀭 /staːra/ | hayúk /hajuːk/ | 𒀯 /kakːabu/ | استار /isˈtaːr/ | kumunyeenye /kumuɲeːɲe/ |
| Mother | ee'yu /eːju/ | mama /mama/ | 𑀫𑀸𑀢 /maːta/ | indee /iːndeː/ | 𒌝𒈬 /umːu/ | لمّا /lumːaː/ | mayi /maji/ |
| Father | kwanda /kwanda/ | tata /tata/ | 𑀧𑀺𑀢 /pita/ | baab /baːb/ | 𒀊 /abu/ | باوا /baːwaː/ | papa /papa/ |
| I | anee /aneː/ | une /une/ | aä /aːə/ | ané /ʔane/ | 𒀀𒈾𒆪 /anaːku/ | ای /iː/ | ise /ise/ |
| You | inyee /iɲeː/ | uwe /uwe/ | 𑀢𑀽 /tuː/ | barúk /baruːk/ | 𒀜𒋫 /atːa/ | نی /niː/ | iwe /iwe/ |
| Name | kaina /kaina/ | izina /izina/ | 𑀦𑀸𑀫 /naːma/ | sim /sim/ | 𒈬 /ʃumu/ | نام /naːm/ | lisiina /lisiːna/ |
| Eye | konda /kɔnda/ | iriiso /iɾiːso/ | 𑀘𑁂𑀰𑁆𑀫𑀦𑁆 /tʃʰeʃman/ | liili /liːli/ | 𒅆 /iːnu/ | خن /xan/ | liiso /liːso/ |
| Hand | eut /eut/ | ukuboko /ukuboko/ | 𑀤𑀲𑁆𑀢 /dasta/ | ay /aj/ | 𒋗 /qaːtu/ | دو /doː/ | kumukhono /kumukʰono/ |
| Heart | muguleldo /muɡuleldo/ | umutima /umutima/ | 𑀬𑀲𑀭 (ysära) /zəra/ | ginʼa /ɡinʔa/ | 𒇷𒅁 /libːu/ | دل /dil/ | umwoyo /umwojo/ |
| Love | chamuga /tʃamuɡa/ | butogwa /butoɡwa/ | 𑀅𑀭𑁆𑀭𑀽 /arːuː/ | kima /kima/ | 𒊏𒄠 /raːmu/ | عشق /eʃq/ | khusima /kʰusima/ |
| Tree | keetit /keːtit/ | umuti /umuti/ | 𑀤𑁆𑀭𑀼 /drːu/ | hindeb /hindeb/ | 𒄑 /isˤu/ | پنتل /pantal/ | kumusaala /kumusaːla/ |
| House | gaa /ɡaː/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | 𑀩𑁆𑀬𑀸𑀳 /bjaːha/ | gaw /ɡaw/ | 𒂍 /biːtu/ | اولا /ulaː/ | nzu /nzu/ |
| Dog | ses /ses/ | imbwa /imbwa/ | 𑀰𑀼 /ʂu/ | yas /jas/ | 𒌨𒁇 /kalbu/ | کچک /kutʃik/ | imbwa /imbwa/ |
| Cat | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | 𑀰𑁆𑀰𑁆𑀭𑀅𑀼 /ʂʂarau/ | kabsoot /kabsoːt/ | 𒋗𒊏𒉡 /ʃuraːnu/ | پسی /pisi/ | paka /paka/ |
| Eat | am /am/ | kuria /kuɾia/ | 𑀧𑀭𑀢 /parætæ/ | tame /tame/ | 𒀀𒅗𒇻 /akaːlu/ | کنّا /kunːa/ | khulya /kʰuʎa/ |
| Drink | ee /eː/ | kunywa /kuɲwa/ | 𑀧𑀻𑀅 /piːa/ | gwaʼa /ɡʷaʕa/ | 𒊮𒌅 /ʃatuː/ | پنّنگ /pinːinɡ/ | khunywa /kʰuɲwa/ |
| One | agenge /aɡeŋe/ | umwe /umwe/ | 𑀰𑁆𑀰𑀅𑀼 /ɕːau/ | gaal /ɡaːl/ | 𒁹 /iʃteːn/ | اسٹ /asiʈ/ | mulala /mulala/ |
| Two | aeng' /aeŋ/ | aviri /aβiri/ | 𑀤𑀼𑀯 /duva/ | maloob /maloːb/ | 𒈫 /ʃina/ | ایراٹ /iˈraːʈ/ | babili /βaβili/ |
| Hello | chamege /tʃameɡe/ | mbukire /mbukiɾe/ | 𑀤𑁆𑀭𑀽𑀤𑀻 /drːuːdiː/ | salaam /salaːm/ | 𒁲 /ʃulmu/ | سلام /sælaːm/ | mulembe /mulembe/ |
| Thank you | kongoi /koŋoi/ | asante /aˈsante/ | 𑀧𑁆𑀬𑀰𑁆𑀢 /pjaʃta/ | baraʼoo /baɾaʕoː/ | 𒁲𒌅 /taʃlimtu/ | شکریہ /ʃukɾijaː/ | ole nise /ole nise/ |
| Good | karaaran /karaːran/ | kihi /kihi/ | 𑀯𑀺𑀭𑀢𑁆𑀢 /viratːa/ | dabaab /dabaːb/ | 𒄭𒄀 /damqu/ | کشی /kaʃi/ | kalayi /kalaji/ |
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