Sampur
Samburu
Nilo-Saharan (Eastern Nilotic, Maa cluster — sister to Maasai mas)
Samburu (Sampur, "those who hold us together") is the language of the Samburu people, semi-nomadic Maa-speaking pastoralists of the Northern Frontier of Kenya. Linguistically, Samburu is part of the Maa cluster of Eastern Nilotic alongside Maasai (mas) — they are mutually intelligible to a large degree but maintain distinct ethnic identities. The Samburu have historically been allied with the Maasai through shared cultural patterns (warrior-age sets, lion-hunting initiation, cattle-centered ritual) but also with the neighboring Cushitic Rendille people through trade and intermarriage. The 2009 census recorded 310,327 ethnic Samburu, with most speakers also bilingual in Swahili.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Samburu
Water
nkare
/ŋkaɾe/
Fire
nkima
/ŋkima/
Sun
lakwa
/lakʷa/
Moon
lapa
/lapa/
Star
lakira
/lakira/
Mother
yieyo
/jiejo/
Father
papa
/papa/
I
nanu
/nanʊ/
You
iye
/ije/
Name
nkarna
/ŋkarna/
Eye
nkoŋu
/ŋkoŋu/
Hand
nkaina
/ŋkaina/
Heart
ltau
/ltau/
Love
eitalu
/eitalu/
Tree
lchani
/ltʃani/
House
nkang
/ŋkaŋ/
Dog
ldia
/ldia/
Cat
paka
/paka/
Eat
anya
/aɲa/
Drink
oŋg
/oŋɡ/
One
obo
/obo/
Two
aare
/aːre/
Hello
sopa
/sopa/
Thank you
ashe
/aʃe/
Good
supat
/supat/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Nilo-Saharan (Eastern Nilotic, Maa cluster — sister to Maasai mas) languages
| Meaning | Samburu | Maasai | Ateso | Malagasy | Yao | Olkol | Asháninka |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nkare /ŋkaɾe/ | ɛŋare /ɛŋare/ | akipi /akipi/ | rano /ɾanu/ | mesi /mesi/ | kupa /kupa/ | nija /nidʒa/ |
| Fire | nkima /ŋkima/ | ɛnkima /ɛŋkima/ | akim /akim/ | afo /afu/ | moto /moto/ | paral /paɻal/ | paamari /paːmaɾi/ |
| Sun | lakwa /lakʷa/ | enkolong /eŋkoloŋ/ | akolong /akoloŋ/ | masoandro /masuandɾu/ | lyuwa /ʎuwa/ | naŋkari /naŋkaɻi/ | oorya /oːɾja/ |
| Moon | lapa /lapa/ | olapa /olapa/ | elap /elap/ | volana /vulana/ | mwesi /mwesi/ | kakal /kakal/ | kashiri /kaʃiɾi/ |
| Star | lakira /lakira/ | olakira /olakira/ | akoloit /akoloit/ | kintana /ˈkintana/ | ndondwa /ndondwa/ | el idnban /el ˈidnban/ | impoquiro /impokiɾo/ |
| Mother | yieyo /jiejo/ | yieyio /jiejio/ | toto /toto/ | reny /ɾeni/ | amao /amaː/ | ngangi /ŋaŋi/ | ina /ina/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | ray /ɾaj/ | atati /atati/ | kaba /kaba/ | apa /apa/ |
| I | nanu /nanʊ/ | nanʉ /nanʊ/ | eong /eɔŋ/ | aho /ˈahu/ | une /une/ | ay /aj/ | naaka /naːka/ |
| You | iye /ije/ | iyie /ijie/ | ijo /idʒo/ | ianao /iaˈnaw/ | mmwe /mːwe/ | inag /inaɡ/ | aviro /aβiɾo/ |
| Name | nkarna /ŋkarna/ | enkarna /eŋkarna/ | ekiror /ekiror/ | anarana /aˈnarana/ | lina /lina/ | ukal /ukal/ | ivairo /iβaiɾo/ |
| Eye | nkoŋu /ŋkoŋu/ | ɛŋɔŋu /ɛŋɔŋu/ | akongu /akoŋɡu/ | maso /masu/ | liso /liso/ | mil /mil/ | noki /noki/ |
| Hand | nkaina /ŋkaina/ | ɛŋaina /ɛŋaina/ | akan /akan/ | tanana /tanana/ | ngaila /ŋɡaila/ | mara /maɻa/ | nako /nako/ |
| Heart | ltau /ltau/ | oltau /oltau/ | etau /etau/ | fo /fu/ | mtima /mtima/ | piku /piku/ | nosanto /nosanto/ |
| Love | eitalu /eitalu/ | eitalu /eitalu/ | akimina /akimina/ | fitiavana /fitiavana/ | chikondi /tʃikondi/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | nonintsi /nonintsi/ |
| Tree | lchani /ltʃani/ | olchani /oltʃani/ | ekitoi /ekitoi/ | hazo /hazu/ | mtela /mtela/ | warray /waɾaj/ | inchato /intʃato/ |
| House | nkang /ŋkaŋ/ | eng'aji /ɛŋadʒi/ | ekal /ekal/ | trano /tɾanu/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | mariŋ /maɻiŋ/ | pankotsi /paŋkotsi/ |
| Dog | ldia /ldia/ | oldia /oldia/ | ekingok /ekiŋɡok/ | alika /alika/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | kunpa /kunpa/ | otsiti /otsiti/ |
| Cat | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | ekapa /ekapa/ | saka /saka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | mishito /miʃito/ |
| Eat | anya /aɲa/ | anya /aɲa/ | akinyam /akiɲam/ | mihinana /mihinana/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | ngarinya /ŋaɻiɲa/ | noyaki /nojaki/ |
| Drink | oŋg /oŋɡ/ | oŋg /oŋɡ/ | akimat /akimat/ | misotro /misutɾu/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kupa nyaa /kupa ɲaː/ | noiri /noiɾi/ |
| One | obo /obo/ | obo /obo/ | ediopet /ediopet/ | iray /iɾaj/ | mo /mo/ | kuyu /kuju/ | aparoni /apaɾoni/ |
| Two | aare /aːre/ | aare /aːre/ | iarei /iarei/ | roa /ˈrua/ | iŵili /iβili/ | uchir /utʃir/ | apite /apite/ |
| Hello | sopa /sopa/ | sopa /sopa/ | yoga /joɡa/ | manao ahoana /manau ahuana/ | salama /salama/ | — /—/ | aviro /aβiɾo/ |
| Thank you | ashe /aʃe/ | ashe /aʃe/ | eyalama /ejalama/ | misaotra /misautɾa/ | nakwete /nakwete/ | — /—/ | naranki /naɾaŋki/ |
| Good | supat /supat/ | sidai /sidai/ | ejok /edʒok/ | tsara /tsaɾa/ | chechete /tʃetʃete/ | palya /paʎa/ | kameetsa /kameːtsa/ |
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