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
20 core words in Samburu
Water
nkare
/ŋkaɾe/
Fire
nkima
/ŋkima/
Sun
lakwa
/lakʷa/
Moon
lapa
/lapa/
Mother
yieyo
/jiejo/
Father
papa
/papa/
Eat
anya
/aɲa/
Drink
oŋg
/oŋɡ/
Love
eitalu
/eitalu/
Heart
ltau
/ltau/
Tree
lchani
/ltʃani/
House
nkang
/ŋkaŋ/
Dog
ldia
/ldia/
Cat
paka
/paka/
Hand
nkaina
/ŋkaina/
Eye
nkoŋu
/ŋkoŋu/
Hello
sopa
/sopa/
Thank you
ashe
/aʃe/
One
obo
/obo/
Good
supat
/supat/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Nilo-Saharan (Eastern Nilotic, Maa cluster — sister to Maasai mas) languages
| Meaning | Samburu | Maasai | Ateso | Olkol | Nhanda | Yao | Malagasy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nkare /ŋkaɾe/ | ɛŋare /ɛŋare/ | akipi /akipi/ | kupa /kupa/ | kapi /kapi/ | mesi /mesi/ | rano /ɾanu/ |
| Fire | nkima /ŋkima/ | ɛnkima /ɛŋkima/ | akim /akim/ | paral /paɻal/ | warla /waɻla/ | moto /moto/ | afo /afu/ |
| Sun | lakwa /lakʷa/ | enkolong /eŋkoloŋ/ | akolong /akoloŋ/ | naŋkari /naŋkaɻi/ | ngama /ŋama/ | lyuwa /ʎuwa/ | masoandro /masuandɾu/ |
| Moon | lapa /lapa/ | olapa /olapa/ | elap /elap/ | kakal /kakal/ | kanyala /kaɲala/ | mwesi /mwesi/ | volana /vulana/ |
| Mother | yieyo /jiejo/ | yieyio /jiejio/ | toto /toto/ | ngangi /ŋaŋi/ | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ | amao /amaː/ | reny /ɾeni/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | kaba /kaba/ | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ | atati /atati/ | ray /ɾaj/ |
| Eat | anya /aɲa/ | anya /aɲa/ | akinyam /akiɲam/ | ngarinya /ŋaɻiɲa/ | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ | kulya /kuʎa/ | mihinana /mihinana/ |
| Drink | oŋg /oŋɡ/ | oŋg /oŋɡ/ | akimat /akimat/ | kupa nyaa /kupa ɲaː/ | nyuna /ɲuna/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | misotro /misutɾu/ |
| Love | eitalu /eitalu/ | eitalu /eitalu/ | akimina /akimina/ | kanyji /kaɲɟi/ | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ | chikondi /tʃikondi/ | fitiavana /fitiavana/ |
| Heart | ltau /ltau/ | oltau /oltau/ | etau /etau/ | piku /piku/ | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ | mtima /mtima/ | fo /fu/ |
| Tree | lchani /ltʃani/ | olchani /oltʃani/ | ekitoi /ekitoi/ | warray /waɾaj/ | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ | mtela /mtela/ | hazo /hazu/ |
| House | nkang /ŋkaŋ/ | eng'aji /ɛŋadʒi/ | ekal /ekal/ | mariŋ /maɻiŋ/ | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ | trano /tɾanu/ |
| Dog | ldia /ldia/ | oldia /oldia/ | ekingok /ekiŋɡok/ | kunpa /kunpa/ | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | alika /alika/ |
| Cat | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | ekapa /ekapa/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | saka /saka/ |
| Hand | nkaina /ŋkaina/ | ɛŋaina /ɛŋaina/ | akan /akan/ | mara /maɻa/ | mara /maɻa/ | ngaila /ŋɡaila/ | tanana /tanana/ |
| Eye | nkoŋu /ŋkoŋu/ | ɛŋɔŋu /ɛŋɔŋu/ | akongu /akoŋɡu/ | mil /mil/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | liso /liso/ | maso /masu/ |
| Hello | sopa /sopa/ | sopa /sopa/ | yoga /joɡa/ | palya /paʎa/ | palya /paʎa/ | salama /salama/ | manao ahoana /manau ahuana/ |
| Thank you | ashe /aʃe/ | ashe /aʃe/ | eyalama /ejalama/ | marlu /maɻlu/ | marlu /maɻlu/ | nakwete /nakwete/ | misaotra /misautɾa/ |
| One | obo /obo/ | obo /obo/ | ediopet /ediopet/ | kuyu /kuju/ | kuyu /kuju/ | mo /mo/ | iray /iɾaj/ |
| Good | supat /supat/ | sidai /sidai/ | ejok /edʒok/ | palya /paʎa/ | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ | chechete /tʃetʃete/ | tsara /tsaɾa/ |
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