Kalenjin languages

Kalenjin languages

The Kalenjin languages are a group of twelve related Southern Nilotic languages spoken in Kenya, eastern Uganda and northern Tanzania. The term Kalenjin comes from a Nandi expression meaning 'I say (to you)'. "Kalenjin" in this broad linguistic sense should not be confused with "Kalenjin" as a term for the common identity the Nandi-speaking peoples of Kenya assumed halfway the twentieth century; see Kalenjin and Kalenjin language.

The Kalenjin languages are generally distinguished into four sub-branches. There is less certainty regarding internal relationships within those four main branches. The following internal classification is based on the Ethnologue, 15th edition (2005):

* Elgon languages
** Kupsabiny (Uganda)
** Sabaot (Kenya)
* Nandi-Markweta languages
** Markweta languages
*** Endo language (Kenya)
*** Talai language (Kenya)
** Nandi languages
*** Aramanik language (Kenya)
*** Kalenjin language (Kenya)
**** (including Kipsigis, Nandi, Terik, and Keiyo dialects)
*** Kisankasa language (Tanzania)
*** Mediak language (Tanzania)
*** Mosiro language (Tanzania) (considered a subdivision of Akiek by Rottland (1982) and Sommer (1992))
*** Tugen language (Kenya)
* Okiek language (Kenya, Tanzania)
** "Kinare" dialect (extinct)
** "Sogoo" dialect (endangered)
** "Akiek" dialect (endangered)
* Pökoot language (Kenya)

References

* Rottland, Franz (1982) "Die Südnilotischen Sprachen: Beschreibung, Vergleichung und Rekonstruktion" (Kölner Beiträge zur Afrikanistik vol. 7). Berlin: Dietrich Reimer. "(See esp. map 1 on p. 31, and the 'Sprachbeschreibung' of the Kalenjin languages on pp. 69–143.)"

External links

* [http://www.kalenjin.net A Kalenjin website]
* [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_family.asp?subid=90120 Kalenjin branch] on the Ethnologue.
* [http://www.let.uu.nl/users/Joost.Zwarts/personal/Papers/Endo_phonology.pdf Endo phonology]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Kalenjin people — Kalenjin is an ethnic group of Nilotic origin living in the Great Rift Valley in western Kenya. The Kalenjin population is estimated at roughly 3 million. There are several smaller tribal groupings within the Kalenjin: Elgeyo, Endorois, Kipsigis …   Wikipedia

  • Kalenjin — may refer to:* Kalenjin people ** Elgeyo ** Kipsigis ** Marakwet ** Nandi ** Pokot ** Sabaot ** Terik ** Tugen ** Sebei * Kalenjin language * Kalenjin languages …   Wikipedia

  • Kalenjin language — For the broader linguistic family of Kalenjin languages spoken in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, see Kalenjin languages. Kalenjin is a cluster of closely related dialects spoken in Western Kenya and the Rift Valley by about 12% of Kenya s… …   Wikipedia

  • Languages of Uganda — English is the official language of Uganda, even though only a relatively small percentage of the population speaks it. Access to economic and political power is almost impossible without having mastered that language. The East African lingua… …   Wikipedia

  • Kalenjin — ▪ people       any member of the Kipsikis (Kipsigis), Nandi, Pokot, or other related peoples of west central Kenya, northern Tanzania, and Uganda who speak Southern Nilotic languages of the Nilo Saharan language family.       The Kalenjin peoples …   Universalium

  • Kalenjin — ISO 639 3 Code : kln ISO 639 2/B Code : ISO 639 2/T Code : ISO 639 1 Code : Scope : Macrolanguage Language Type : Living Individual languages : Identifier : enb Name: Markweeta Individual languages : Identifier : eyo Name: Keiyo …   Names of Languages ISO 639-3

  • Languages of Kenya — Kenya is a multilingual country. The Bantu Swahili language and English are widely spoken as lingua franca, and are the two official languages. According to Ethnologue, there are a total of 69 languages spoken in Kenya. This variety is a… …   Wikipedia

  • Nandi–Markweta languages — Nandi Kalenjin Ethnicity: Kalenjin people, some Dorobo Geographic distribution: Great Rift Valley Linguistic classification: Nilo Saharan? …   Wikipedia

  • Southern Nilotic languages — The Southern Nilotic languages are spoken mainly in western Kenya and northern Tanzania (with one of them, Kupsabiny or Sapiny, being spoken on the Ugandan side of Mount Elgon). They are generally divided into two groups, Kalenjin and Omotik… …   Wikipedia

  • Nandi languages — Nandi belongs to the Kalenjin languages.It is spoken by the Nandi people.It includes: * aam Aramanik (Tanzania) * kln Kalenjin language (Kenya) * kqh Kisankasa (Tanzania) * mwx Mediak language (Tanzania) * mwy Mosiro language (Tanzania) * tuy… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”