Meru language

Bantu language spoken in Kenya From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Meru is a Bantu language spoken by the Meru people (Ameru) who live on the Eastern and Northern slopes of Mount Kenya and on the Nyambene ranges. They settled in this area after centuries of migration from the north.

Quick Facts Native to, Region ...
Meru
Kĩmĩĩrũ
Native toKenya
RegionMeru County and Tharaka Nithi County
EthnicityAmeru
Native speakers
2.0 million (2019 census)[1]
Dialects
  • Igembe
  • Igoji
  • Imenti
  • Miutini
  • Nuclear Meru
  • Tigania
  • Tharaka
  • Chuka
  • Mwimbi-Muthambi
Language codes
ISO 639-3
mer  Meru
Glottologmeru1245  Meru
E.53,531,54,541[2]
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The Meru people are a fairly homogeneous community and all share a common ancestry. They speak the same language, Kimeru, with slight regional differences in accent and local words. The community comprises the following subdivisions, from the north to south:

  • Igembe
  • Tigania (Tiania) (culture close to neighbouring Cushitic and Nilotic communities)
  • Imenti
  • Tharaka (Saraka)
  • Igoji
  • Mwimbi–Muthambi
  • Chuka (Gicuka)

As the Meru language is similar to its surrounding neighbors, the Kikuyu and Embu could have possibly adopted parts of Meru.

Sample phrases

More information English, Kimeru ...
EnglishKimeru
How are youMuuga
Give me waterNkundia rũũji/rũi
How are you doing?Ũrĩ ümwega?
I am hungryNdĩna mpara
Help meNteithia/Ntethia
I am goodNdĩ mwega
Are you a friend?Wĩ mũcore?
Bye, be blessedTigwa bwega, tharimwa.
I love youInkwendete.
Come hereĨja aja/ Iyu aa
I will phone youNgakũringira thimũ
Close

I want a cassava||Ndũmia mũanga/mĩanga

Dialects

Summarize
Perspective

Kimeru has seven main mutually intelligible dialects. The dialects include Kiimenti widely used by the Imenti section of the Ameru, Tiania/gitiania used by the Tigania, kiigembe used by the Igembe, Kimwimbi used by the Mwïmbï, Kïmüthambï used by the Müthambï, Gicuka used by the Chuka and Kitharaka used by the Tharaka.

Imenti dialect

It is the commonly used dialect in Meru. The dialect acts as the lingua franca between all the nine subtribes of Meru. It is the official dialect used in the Kimeru Bible translations. It is commonly used in Nkubu, Timau, Kibirichia, Meru town and Ruiri areas of Meru County.

Sample phrases

More information English, Imenti ...
EnglishImenti
How are youNĩatĩa ũrĩ? Muuga?
Give me water to drinkNkundia rũũji
HomeNja/Mũciĩ
Get outUma njaa/ome
Get InsideKũrũka/Tonya
TodayNaarua
TomorrowRũüjü
Come hereĨja aja
I will phone youNgakũringira thimũ
Close

The Chuka, Muthambi and Mwimbi dialects

Quick Facts Chuka dialect, Language family ...
Chuka dialect
Niger–Congo?
  • Chuka dialect
Language codes
ISO 639-3cuh
Glottologchuk1274  Chuka
Close
Quick Facts Muthambi dialect, Language family ...
Muthambi dialect
Niger–Congo?
  • Muthambi dialect
Language codes
ISO 639-3mws
Glottologmuth1242  Muthambi
Close
Quick Facts Mwimbi dialect, Language family ...
Mwimbi dialect
Niger–Congo?
  • Mwimbi dialect
Language codes
ISO 639-3mws
Glottologmwim1242  Mwimbi
Close

The dialects are more related to Gikuyu and Meru proper, and are common in Igoji, Chogoria and Chuka regions of Meru County and Tharaka Nithi County.

Sample phrases

More information English, Chuka/Muthambi/Mwimbi ...
EnglishChuka/Muthambi/Mwimbi
How are youMuuga
Give me water to drinknkundia rũnjĩ/rüjÏ
HomeMũcii
Get outUma nja
Get InsideKũrũka/Tonya/Thungira
TodayŨmũnthi
TomorrowRũjũ/Rũũ
Come hereÜka/Njü aa
I will phone youNgakũringira/Ngakubũrira thimũ
Close

Tigania and Igembe dialects

Quick Facts Tigania dialect, Language family ...
Tigania dialect
Niger–Congo?
  • Tigania dialect
Language codes
ISO 639-3
Glottologtiga1244  Tigania
Close
Quick Facts Igembe dialect, Language family ...
Igembe dialect
Niger–Congo?
  • Igembe dialect
Language codes
ISO 639-3
Glottologigem1238  Igembe
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The dialects are mostly spoken in Miraa or Khat growing areas of Muthara, Karama, Kangeta, Maua, Laare and Mutuati in Meru County.

Sample phrases

More information English, TIgania/Igembe ...
EnglishTIgania/Igembe
How are youMuua
Give me water to drinkNkundia Rũĩ
HomeMucie/Mucii
Get outTũra
Get InsideUnkuma
TodayRuarii
TomorrowRũũ/Rũyũ
Come hereĨya haa/iyu haa
I will phone youNgakũringira thimũ
Close

Tharaka dialect

Quick Facts Tharaka dialect, Language family ...
Tharaka dialect
Niger–Congo?
  • Tharaka dialect
Language codes
ISO 639-3thk
Glottologthar1283  Tharaka
Close

The dialect is more closely related to the Kamba and Tigania dialects. It is most common in Tharaka areas of Tharaka Nithi County.

Sample phrases

More information English, Tharaka ...
EnglishTharaka
How are youMuuga
Give me water to drinkNkundia rũũyĩ
HomeMũciĩ
Get outUma nja
Get InsideThũngĩra
TodayĨmunthĩ
TomorrowRũũ
Come hereNcũ aga
I will phone youNgakũringĩra thimũ
Close

Phonology

Consonants

More information Labial, Dental ...
Consonants of the ImentI, Igoji, Mwimbi, Muthambi & Tharaka dialects[3]
Labial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar
Stop pb td cɟ kɡ
Fricative (β) ð ʝ (ɣ)
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Trill r
Approximant w j
Close
More information Labial, Dental ...
Consonants of the Chuka dialect[3]
Labial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar
Stop b td cɟ kɡ
Fricative (β) ð (ɣ)
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Trill r
Approximant w j
Close

Prenasalized sounds may also occur in word-medial and word-initial positions.

Fricatives [β, ɣ] occur mostly as allophones of stops /b, d/ in intervocalic positions.

/d/ may also be heard as [ɾ] in intervocalic positions.

Vowels

More information Front, Central ...
Front Central Back
Close i iː u uː
Close-mid e eː o oː
Open-mid ɛ ɛː ɔ ɔː
Open a aː
Close

Alphabet

Summarize
Perspective

Kimeru is written in a Latin alphabet. It does not use the letters f p q s v x z, and adds the letters ĩ and ũ.[4] The Kimeru alphabet is:

Majuscule forms (also called uppercase or capital letters)
ABCDEGHIĨJKMNORTUŨWY
Minuscule forms (also called lowercase or small letters)
abcdeghiĩjkmnortuũwy

Noun Classes

Kimeru has sixteen noun classes as tabulated below. the classes are grammatical and represent how words fit into sentences. Of the noun classes, classes 1, 3, 4, 9 and ten are irregular while the rest are regular. This implies that verbal, adjectival and conjunction concords are not the same.

Example class 1 verses class 2. class 1- Muntũ ũjũ mũraja auma Nairobi. class 2- Antũ baba baraja bauma Nairobi.

Class 1-This tall person has come from Nairobi. Class 2. These tall people have come from Nairobi. In class 1 demonstrative 'this' is ũjũ, with ũ as its concord. The adjective -raja has mũ as its concord and the verb uma has a as its concord hence 'auma'. On the other hand in class two each of the above cases have ba as a concord. The difference is only in ũjũ and baba as demonstratives is that all strong classes use double concords as demonstratives.

More information Noun class, Exam ...
Noun class Exam This/These Adjectival Verbal
1- 'Müũ Mũkũrũ Ũjũ Mũ-raja A-kwija
2-Ba Akũrũ Baba Ba-raja Ba-kwija
3-Mũ Mũti ũũ/ũjũ Mũ-raja ũ-kũgwa
4-Mĩ Mĩtĩ ĩjĩ/ĩno Mĩ- raja ĩ- kũgwa
5- Ri Riitho Rĩrĩ Rĩ-nene Rĩ-kwona
6- Ma Meetho Jaja/Mama Ma-nene Ma-kwona
7-Kĩ Kĩara Gĩkĩ Kĩ-nene Gĩ-kworonta
8-Bĩ Bĩara Bĩbi Bï-nene Bï-kworonta
9-Ng' Ng'ombe Ïjï/Ïno Ï-nene Ï-güküra
10-Ng' Ng'ombe Ijï/Ino I-nene I-güküra
11-Rü Rüreme Rürü Rü-raja Rü-gücuna
10- Ng' Ndeme Ijï/Ino I- ndaja I-gücuna
12-Ka Kana Gaka Ka-nini Ga-gükena
13-Tü Twana Tütü Tü-nini Tü-gükena
14- Bü Ücürü Bübü Bü-rüru Bü-küthira
15-Kü Kügürü Gükü Gü-künene Gü-gükinya
16-A Antü Aja/aa A-nene A-kürïmwa
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Kimeru follows Dahl's law thus a "K" syllable cannot follow a "K' syllable.

A Kenyan musical group known as High Pitch Band Afrika based in Meru County has done a cover of the Luis Fonsi's popular hit single Despacito in Kimeru language. The Kimeru cover was uploaded on YouTube on July 10, 2017, and has generated over 500,000 views since then.

In Media the Kimeru language is used as the primary broadcast language of several Radio and TV stations in Kenya. Some include: Meru Fm, Muuga Fm, Weru Fm, Weru TV, Baite TV, Thiiri Fm among many others.

References

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