Gikuyu Language Lessons

THE DIALECTS OF GIKUYU LANGUAGE

Young man in colourful traditional attire.

Professor Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o has long advocated for Africans to write in their native languages to preserve their culture, identity, and communal spirit. When Ngũgĩ began writing in Gikuyu in the 1980s, many believed he was venturing down a hopeless path. Yet, as with many great visionaries, history has validated his conviction. Today, new Gikuyu radio and television stations continue to emerge, creating a demand for newsreaders, scriptwriters, editors, drama writers, and content developers fluent in Gikuyu.

This demand has brought unprecedented demand for Gikuyu language proficiency. I often remind my daughter that her prospects of becoming a newsreader increase significantly if she learns to speak Gikuyu well, a skill that sets her apart from her peers who favour Sheng and English.

Moving on from Ngũgĩ’s vision, let us delve into some linguistic terms relevant to our discussion. The term ‘dialect’ refers to a distinct form of a language spoken by people in a particular region or social group. From it stem several related terms. An ‘acrolect’ denotes the most prestigious dialect of a language, while a ‘basilect’ refers to the least prestigious. A ‘sociolect’ is a dialect tied to a specific social class—like the unique style of affluent, business-minded Gikuyu women who say “ashaaaaa” instead of “aca.” An ‘idiolect’ describes an individual’s unique language habits, as in the way someone might use the non-standard term “irregardless.” That concludes our linguistics primer for now.

It would be fascinating to explore these concepts in the context of the Gĩkũyũ language. To start, how many dialects does the language encompass? Most linguists suggest that Gikuyu has four main dialects: Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Murang’a, and Kiambu.

The Kirinyaga dialect is further divided into Ndia and Gichugu. Gichugu, known for its lyrical cadence, sounds almost like poetry, with a distinctive rhythm marked by rises and falls. Ndia also has its own unique characteristics and is spoken around Kerugoya and Kutus. Together, these dialects reflect the distinctiveness of the Kirinyaga region, easily recognizable even to other Gikuyu speakers.

As for the other three dialects—Kiambu, Murang’a, and Nyeri—a comprehensive study on what differentiates them remains elusive. Do regional variations exist even within these dialects? For instance, do Mathira and Othaya residents in Nyeri speak the same version of Nyeri Gikuyu? Or do Mathioya and Gatanga residents in Murang’a share an identical Murang’a dialect?

Further complicating the picture is the Gikuyu diaspora, which has been dispersed for generations. Many Gikuyu settled in regions like the Rift Valley in the 1930s, possibly developing distinct dialects over time. How do these dialects compare with those of, say, Gikuyu speakers in Lamu? Additionally, do urban Gikuyu communities, such as matatu operators (makangas) or street children (chokoras), use their own unique dialects?

Lastly, a more controversial question remains: do these Agĩkũyũ dialects possess a social hierarchy? Is the Ndia dialect, for instance, considered less prestigious than Nyeri? Does a wealthy Gikuyu individual raised in Muthaiga speak differently from a coffee farmer in Murio wa Nda, Murang’a?

We’ll explore each of these dialects of Gikuyu language in more depth in a forthcoming posts.

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