The Gikuyu language has very interesting inflections which can only be appreciated by a native speaker. Our prepositions, unlike English ones, are not flat. They are used to indicate mood,likes and dislikes, adding a certain nuance to our tongue.
Let me take you on a linguistic safari of Gikuyu—a language so rich in flavour that it can serve you a full-course meal of moral judgment with just a three-letter word.
Let’s say Wanjiru, (or Shiroh, to Gen Z) is that petite, innocent girl who never misses a Sunday service. In Gikuyu, we’d call her ‘Shiro ga Kanitha.’ That ‘ga’ isn’t just there for fun. It’s like a verbal pinch on the cheek—a way of saying, “Look at this adorable cute girl!”
If she opens up a shop, she becomes ‘Shiroh was duka.’ Shiroh the shop owner. The ‘wa’ here is as neutral as it gets. No praise, no shade, no judgmental flavour.
Let’s say the plot twists, and Shiroh decides church isn’t her vibe anymore. Instead of singing hymns at local Anglican Church, she now sings bawdy mugithi tunes at a local bar, while sipping Chrome vodka. She now becomes “Shiroh kia bar”. Shiroh of the bar. The ‘kia’ here carries the weight of a thousand side-eyes.
It also denotes her bad standing in the society, a moral proclamation encapsulated in three letters.It’s the society’s way of saying, “We see you, Shiro. And we’re judging.”In short, in Gikuyu language, even the prepositions are watching you.
Here is a kicker though-these rules rarely apply to men. Why? Story for another day.
