Kipsigis language

Kenyan language From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kipsigis (or Kipsikii, Kipsikiis) is part of the Kenyan Kalenjin dialect cluster, It is spoken mainly in Kericho and Bomet counties in Kenya. The Kipsigis people are the most numerous tribe of the Kalenjin in Kenya, accounting for 60% of all Kalenjin speakers. Kipsigis is closely related to Nandi, Keiyo (Keyo, Elgeyo), South Tugen (Tuken), and Cherangany.

Quick Facts Native to, Ethnicity ...
Kipsigis
Native toKenya
EthnicityKipsigis
Native speakers
1.9 million (2009 census)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3sgc
Glottologkips1239
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The Kipsigis territory is bordered to the south and southeast by the Maasai. To the west, Gusii (a Bantu language) is spoken. To the north-east, other Kalenjin people are found, mainly the Nandi. East from the Kipsigis, in the Mau forests, live some Okiek speaking tribes.

Phonology

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Perspective

Consonants

More information Labial, Alveolar ...
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  • /r/ can be heard as either a trill [r] or a tap [ɾ].
  • /tʃ/ may also be realized as a palatal stop [c].
  • /k/ may also have a voiced allophone [ɡ], as well as become spirantized as a voiced fricative [ɣ].[2]

Vowels

More information +ATR, -ATR ...
+ATR -ATR
Front Back Front Back
Close i iː u uː i̙ i̙ː u̙ u̙ː
Mid e eː o oː e̙ e̙ː o̙ o̙ː
Open a aː a̙ a̙ː
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Double vowels

Usually, the pronunciation of a double vowel does not mean a repetition of that vowel sound but rather an elongation of that particular vowel sound. An exception to that generalization shows up with the double ee.

Normally, the elongated vowel sounds follow the Latin vowel sounds. A few examples are given in the table below

More information Vowel, As Kipsigis ...
Vowel As Kipsigis As in English
aa Kaap mama, mark, margin, sharp
ii Asiis piece, peace, freeze, sneeze
oo igoondiit

roopta

gone

robe

uu piyuut root, boot
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The sound of the double ee may vary in pronunciation. For example:

More information As in Kipsigis, As in English ...
As in Kipsigis As in English
akweet 'flock' wet
beek 'water' bake
meet 'death' for this word, there are two sounds, as in lay-ette
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See also

Notes

  1. ^ See Kalenjin languages and Nandi–Markweta languages for a clarification of the Nandi/Kalenjin nomenclature.

References

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