r

8351 H66

CORNELL UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

FROM
The ^state of L.L.^eamai

JAN 8.1 1007

II

f f

HAY

ii

Liiminfti

APirsir

Cornell University Library

PL 8351.H66
Vocabularies of the

Kamba and Kikuyu

Ian

3 1924 026 919 815

The

original of this

book

is in

the Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright

restrictions in
text.

the United States on the use of the

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31 92402691 981

VOCABULARIES
OF THE

KAMBA AND KIKUYU

LANGUAGES

SonDon: C. J. CLAY and SONS, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS WAREHOUSE, AVE MARIA LANE.
50,

WELLINGTON STREET.

SLeipjis

F. A.

BROCKHAUS.

jMn
aBombas

Sotit:
anto

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, (Mcutta: MACMILLAN AND CO., Ltd.

[All Eights reserved]

VOCABULARIES
OF THE

KAMBA AND KIKUYU

LANGUAGES
OF

EAST AFRICA

BY

HILDEGARDE HINDE
(Mrs Sidney L. Hinde)
AUTHOR OF A MASAI GRAMMAR

CAMBRIDGE
AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS
1904

(OK,

UN

VI

UMi

Camimige/
FEINTED ET
J.

'

AND

u.

F. CLAY,

AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

PEEFACE.
It
is

not necessary to append even grammatical notes to

the following vocabularies.

Both the

Kamba and Kikuyu

is,

languages belong to the Bantu group and their construction

is

precisely similar to that of Swahili, that

all

grammatical

inflexion takes place at the beginning of the word.

The

object in publishing a Swahili vocabulary parallel

with the

Kamba and Kikuyu

is

to emphasise the intimate

relationship between the three languages.

Swahili has become the trade language of East Africa

it
is

spoken at Zanzibar and

all

along the coast of both

British

and German East

Africa,
it

and the coast

into the interior.

traders,

travelling inland, have carried

It is

therefore highly improbable that an attempt to learn any of

the native languages would be

made without

first

mastering

the rudiments of Swahili.

In both the

Kamba and Kikuyu

number
and
all

languages the nouns

are divided into a

of classes (being distinguished

adjectives,

by the

first

syllable),

pronouns

and

numerals are brought into relation with these nouns by

corresponding changes of their
class
first syllables.

There

is

no
is

denominative of sex, though in each language there

a class which denotes animate objects.

definite or indefinite.

There

is

no

article,

VI

PREFACE.

The Kamba vocabulary

is

is

in

two

dialects, the

Ulu which

used from Machakos to the coast, and the Nganyawa,

spoken in part of the Kitui District.

I have given the
dialect

in

Kikuyu

(that spoken in

Jogowini) with which I

in the

am

personally acquainted, though

Kenya Province

there are, to
differ

my knowledge, two

other

dialects

and these again

from the dialects in the

neighbourhood of Nairobi.
It is interesting to note that the

Akikuyu

of the southern

part of the

Kenya Province and the Akamba

of the adjoin-

ing Kitui District readily understand each other.

Swahili itself has distinct local differences, not alone

in the pronunciation,

but in the variation of words in the

dialects,

Zanzibar,

Mombasa and Lamu

if

though

all

are easily

understood

one dialect be well known.

In the Swahili

of the following vocabulary the Zanzibar dialect has been

employed, since

it is

the most widely known.

All the verbs

in the Swahili vocabulary, and

most of those in the other

Infinitive

two vocabularies, are given in the

represented by the prefix ku
in
;

Mood

this is

but in Kamba, and sometimes In the Swahili

Kikuyu,

it

not infrequently becomes gu.

vocabulary the plural of each noun has been given.

The

usual rules for the formation of the plural in both are as follows
:

Kamba and Kikuyu

1.

Nouns

(representing animate objects) beginning with

:

mu

form their plurals in a

as

mwka= woman,

aka = women.

The Swahili

people, or TPa-Swahili, have

made the term

ilfkamba (the individual), Ifakamba (the plural), Jikikuyu

PREFACE.
(the individual),

vii

TTakikuyu (the plural); the native forms

are Muka.rn.ba, (sing.),

-4kamba

(plural),

Jfwkikuyu

(sing.),

-4kikuyu
2.

(plural).

Nouns beginning with mu

change the

(not representing animate

:

objects)

mu

into

mi

in the plural

as

muti

= tree,
in the

miti

= trees.
Nouns beginning with
:

3.

change the
stones.

to

ma
i

plural
4.

as t'higa

stone,

mahiga =

Nouns beginning with

:

ki change the ki to

in the

plural
5.

as faxatu

sandal, iratu

sandals.
:

Invariable nouns are those beginning with an n

house,

as

wyumba =
6.

nyumba = houses.
lea

Nouns beginning with

shi
:

or ki form their plurals in or

sAt'ana

twa or
&i'ara

as

kana,

child,

twana,

= children

finger, sAiara

= fingers.
Kamba and Kikuyu
lies in

The
the lisp
filed

chief difference between

the absence of the letter

in the former (this is

owing

to

common

to all

Akamba, probably on account

of their

teeth) and the frequency of the aspirate in the latter.

In both languages
in

K and
much

G,

and V, Th and 8 or Z, and

Kikuyu

and L, are
is

practically interchangeable.

The

Kikuyu accent
be seen,

broader and stronger; but, as will

many

of the words are almost,

and others are quite

similar in the two languages.

Great care has been taken to

all

give the pure native rendering to

the words, and none of

the Swahili words which have been incorporated into the

1

Occasionally I have been obliged to use double r to represent a certain

guttural sound.

a 5

Vlll

PREFACE.

languages have been included.

Much

confusion

is

caused

by the compilers of vocabularies interpolating foreign words

where a native language has no equivalent, and thereby
rendering
it

almost impossible to estimate correctly the

philological construction of the language.

Both Kamba and

Kikuvu
out

are very primitive languages and are entirely withof the

many

most simple words.

of one verb and a few

The conjugation

common

phrases

are appended, as they show at a glance the similarity of the

construction of the three languages.

HILDEGARDE HINDE.

Fort Hall,
British East Africa,
September, 1902.

THE ALPHABET.
The vowels
are pronounced as in Italian and the con-

sonants as in English.

There are in addition the modifications 6 and

ii.

The spelling used is phonetic. The accent almost invariably falls on the penultimate. Where an accent is particularly marked I have used the'
long accent sign - and very occasionally the short accent ^.

B and

V,

and K, Th and S or

Z,

and

in

Kikuyu

and

L, are interchangeable.

The sound of RR is very marked and should be pronounced with a distinct burr.

A D
E
F

as

u.

in father

B as in Ch
as

but
church. Italian c before i

and

does

a in dare

gate, never soft as in generous

hit

as in fill

H
K
L

I as ee in svieet

J as in

,,
.

jump
halendar
lost

must

THE ALPHABET.

as in

VERBS.

All

regular verbs in Swahili end in

a, u.

though verbs

derived from the Arabic

may end

in

e, i,

or

In the

Kamba and Kikuyu

a few end iu
i

languages nearly

all

verbs

end in a
In

or

e,

and a very few

in o or u.

all

three languages there are negative as well as

affirmative conjunctions, the tenses and persons being distin-

guished by prefixes.

Xll
X

VBEBS.

VERBS.

fad

PS

XIV
bo
cd

VEEBS.

VERBS.
,53

XV

d T5

M
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CD

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'

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53

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03 to

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03

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03

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03

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03
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ft

8
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1-9
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03

03

Sh

'a

^
3

a
T3 "3

9 a

1l.r
03
cS

03

02

XVI
&0

VERBS.
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fa

& S

b-

s-i

jh
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^
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VERBS.
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&n

VOCABULARY

S.

G.

VOCABULARY.

English

Swahili

abdomen

VOCABULARY.

VOCABULARY.
English

Swahili

barrel

10

VOCABULARY.

11

Kamba
Uln
dialect

Kikuyu

12
English

VOCABULARY.
Sivahili

camel

14
English

VOCABULARY.
Swahili

clay

16

18
English

VOCABULARY.
Swahili

dawn
day
after to-morrow daylight

alfajiri,

kucha

siku

keshu kutwa

mchana
kiziwi, pi. viziwi

deaf dear (price)

ghali

debt defend
(v.)

deni

kulinda

deny

(v.)
(v.)

descend
destroy
devil

(v.)

kukana kuteremka kuharibu

shetani, pi.

mashetani

dew
diarrhoea
dic-dic

umande tumbo la. kuhara

paa kufa

die (v.)
difficult

dig
dirt

(v.)

-gumu kuchimba
t'aka

dirty

chafu, taka taka

(v.)

disembowel
disobey
ditch
divide
(v.) (v.)

kutumbua
kuasi

handaki

kugawanya
?

do you hear
dog donkey door dove

unasikia

mbwa
punda
mlango,
pi.

milango

draw

(v.)

hua kuvuta
kuteka maji kuota

water
(v.)
(v.)

dream
drink
drive

kunwa
(v.)

drinking vessel (cow-horn)

away
(small)

kufukuza

drum

ngoma

20
English

VOCABULARY.
Swahili

drunk
dry

(to be)

(get)

kulewa kukaoka, kavu

bata, pi.

duck

mabata

dumb
dung
dust
(cow's)

bubu,

pi.

mabubu
mavumbi

mavi
vumbi,
pi.

duyker (antelope)

dondoro

eagle

22

24

26

VOCABULARY.
English
Swahili

forbid (v.) ford

kugombeza
kivuko,
pi.

vivuko

forehead
forest

paji la uso

mwitu
kusahau
arobaini

forget (v.)

forty

four

'nne

fourteen
four times
friend

kumi na 'nne mara 'nne

rafiki, pi.

marafiki

frog

frown
fruit
full

nyangimrovi kunja uso

tunda,
pi.

matunda

kujaa
kalibu

furnace

gain

faiyda
(alive)

game

mawindo

(meat)
trap

nyama
mtego ya nyama shamba, pi. mashamba
kusanya
-anana kupata
kutangulia
kuingia

game

garden
garter (leather)

gather
gentle
get
(v.)

(v.)

get ahead

get into get out

get out of the

kutoka

way

similla

get (to a place)

get

kufika

up

kuondoka
kivuli, pi. vivuli

ghost

giddy
giraffe
girl

levyalevya

twiga
kijana,
pi.

vijana

give (v.)

kupa, kutoa

28

so
English

VOCABULARY.
Swahili

growl

(v.)

32

34
English

VOCABULARY.
Swahili

inherit
insect

kurithi

mdudu,
ndani

pi.

wadudu

inside

iron

chuma
pembe, alaka

ivory

jackal
jigger

bweha
funza
msafara, safari

journey

jump
just

(v.;

kuruka

juniper

sawa sawa

K
keep
kick
(v.)

kuweka, kucheleza
kupiga teke
figo,

(v.)

kidney
kill (v.)

nso

kuua, kuchinja (food)

kingfisher
kiss (v.) kite

kubusu ruwewe
gote, pi. magote, ondo, pi.

knee kneehollow
kneel
knife
(v.)

maondo

kupiga magote
kisu, pi. visu

knobkerry knock (v.)

rungu
kugonga, kugota kujua

know
kudu

(v.)

knuckles
(greater)
(lesser)

barabanda shambi

36
English

VOCABULARY.
Swahili

lame

38
English

VOCABULARY.
Swahili

log

gogo, pi.
-refu

magogo

long

a S
(v.)

look

zamani kutazama
kufungua, kuregea

loose (v.)
lose (v.)

kupotea
pafu,

lung

pumu

M
mad

40
English

VOCABULARY.
Swahili

menstruation

VOCABULARY.

41

Kamba
Vlu dialect

gukamma

neumetiebu

ndzee

ntheo

mwei
kiliko

maiitu

kiima
kinge

ichakua

42

VOCABULARY.
English
Swahili

N
nail (finger)

44
English

VOCABULARY.
Swahili

obey

(v.)

40

48
English

VOCABULARY.
Swahili

presently

50

VOCABULARY.
English Swahili

refuse

(v.)

52

54

56

VOCABULARY.
English

Swahili

stand
star

(v.)

kusimama
nyota

stay

(v.)

kukaa
kuiba, kujepa

steal (v.)

steam
stick

mvuke
fimbo

pekessu, ulindi (tire) stick (forked for drying meat) mbano

sticks (small)
still

ufito, pi. fito

nyamaza, -anana

stomach
stone stoop
(v.)
(v.)

tumbo
jrwe, pi.

mawe

kuinama
mfuo,

strangle
stripe

kunyonga, kusonga pi. mifuo utepe,

;

pi.

tepe

stroke

(v.)

kupapasa
nguvu, hodari

strong

stumble

(v.)

kujikwaa
pi. masbina kuuyonya kunyonyesha

stump
suck
(v.) (v.)

shina,

suckle

suffice (v.)

kutosha

sugar cane

mua,
jua

pi.

miwa

sun
sunrise

kucba jua
mangaribi

sunset
sure

kujua sana
(v.) (v.)

surround
swallow

kuzunguka kumeza
kuapa, kutukana
jasho, hari

swear
sweat

(v.)

sweep
sweet
swell

(v.)

kufagia

-tamu
(v.) (v.) (v.)

kufura,

kuvimba

swim
swing

kuogolea

kubembesha
upanga,
pi.

sword

panga

58

VOCABULARY.

English

Swahili

tail

60
English

VOCABULARY.
Swahili

this

VOCABULARY.

61

62

VOCABULARY.
English

Swahili

trunk

(of elephant)

VOCABULARY.

63

Kamba
Ulu
dialect

Kikuyu
Nganyawa
dialect

Jogovrini dialect

ngwele
kwelli

kiromo

ngwau
kuchichia
kuallula

niegawega,

neguo

arriawega
gusisia, ella

kugegerriria

kualliula

kugarora
kusiororuka
ngfirru

kuthurrlukan a

nguu ekumi na
miongoele

ile

ikumi na
mirongoiri

igiri

miongoele na imwe
keeli

mirongoiri na
keeri

imwe

maille

mabatha
ile

inahatha
igiri

yana

ile

igana

igiri

64

VOCABULARY.
English
Swahili

virgin

bikiri,

kizinda

voice

sauti

vulture

tumbuzi,

pi.

matumbuzi

vulva

kuma

w
wait
(v.)

66
English

VOCABULARY.
Swahili

whiskers

68

VOCABULARY.
English Swahili

yam

70

VOCABULARY.

NUMERALS.
English
Swahili

VOCABULARY.

71

72

VOCABULARY.

PHRASES.
English

Swahili
?
?

What
Where

is

your name

jina lako nani

are you going

1

What do you want What What What

Where
I
I I

Where do you come from

are
is

you doing
? %

wendapi 1 wataka nini ? watoka wapi ? wafanya nini ?

nini hii
?
?

this?

do you say
is

usemaji

the water

maji wapi?
sijui

do not know do not want do not want to go

cannot go
go
return

sitaki
sitaki

siwezi siendi

kwenda kwenda

I will not go
I will I will I I I I I
I

nitakwenda
nitarudi

am good am hungry
want milk
have a child do not see
bring

nimzuri ninanja

nataka niaziwa
nina mtoto
sioni

naleta
njo hapa
lete lete

Come

here

Bring food Bring water

chakula
maji

him Make a fire Be quiet Go away

Call

mwite
fanya moto
kaleli

My

child

enda zako mtoto wango

watoto wako ngombe zake mkono wake
mji wetu baba wetu

Your

children

His cows His hand

Our Our

village

father

VOCABULARY.

73

PHRASES.
Kamba (Ulu
wita wata?
uthi naku
1

dialect)

Kikuyu (Jogowini
wita gwatia
?

dialect)

wathiiku
?

?
?

wendakki
weikatta
kiinichao
1

ukwendakki

uomanakko
?

umaku ?
uguikatia
? 1

nikkigekki
?

wenenatta

ukugagatia

?
?

maiba maanzi ? ndimanya ndikwenda ndikwenda kuthi

nditona kuthi
ndithi or ndikathi

meku

maii

ndiui or

ndikumenya

ndigika or ndikwenda
ndigika kuthi

ndingihotta kuthi
ndithie or ndikathie

nenkathi

ningathi

ningashoka

ningashoka

nimaseo
ninadja

nimwega
nihutie

niguenda kalia

ningwenda
ninakana

irria

ninamwana
ndineona
niguete

uka haha
ete leu

ndionna nikurehe uka haha

reherria

maanzi mwite puba mwaki

ete

rehe maii mwitorria

akiamwaki
kirra

pindia

eenda or thi kana kani kakwa twana tuni nitwako

innuka or thi

mwana wakua
siana siaku

ngombe shiakwi kuoko nikwaki

musie ni witu

ngombe siake uwoko wake

mwitzi wiitu

nau witu

baba wiitu

74
English

VOCABULARY.
Swahili

Our mother Do you want

That
is

mama wetu
to eat
?

a bad child

A A

big child

wataka kula ? mtoto yule mbaya mtoto mkubwa

big house

nyumba kubwa
amekuja

He has come You have lied

umesema wongo
tutakwenda wote wawili

We
You

will

both go

are a

bad

man

wewe mtu mbaya

hako
usiji

All the children are small watoto wote wadogo

He Do

is

not here

not come
bring

We

twaleta
si

Not you Not he Not we

we

siye
sisisi

A A A A

good child
good

mtoto mzuri

man

mtu mzuri
kisu kizuri

good knife good tree

Good children Good men Good knives Good trees

In the head In the stomach In the trees In the house
Salutation

mti mzuri watoto wazuri

watu wazuri
visu vizuri
miti mizuri

kitwani

tumboni
mitini

nyumbani

Jambo

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