Local Drinks

1. Maaĩ ma kũnyua

   Drinking water

   Usage

   At a lodge or eatery, to ask for water that is safe to drink. To order a drink, or to point at a drink and ask.

   Grammar Note

   The Bible has "maaĩ ma kũnyua" (water for drinking) 15 times. "maaĩ" is water; the spelling without the tildes is a different word meaning dung, so always mark the ĩ.

2. Kahũa

   Coffee

   Usage

   Central Kenya grows coffee, so this is the word to use around the farms of Kiambu and Nyeri. To order a drink, or to point at a drink and ask.

   Grammar Note

   Class 12 noun. Listed in both Wiktionary and Benson 1964 (Benson also has the phrase for a coffee estate). The ũ needs its tilde.

3. Icani

   Tea

   Usage

   Central Kenya grows tea (for example around Limuru). Say this to ask for tea. To order a drink, or to point at a drink and ask.

   Grammar Note

   Class 5/6 noun. Benson 1964 gives the tea plant and tea leaves; Wiktionary gives "tea(-plant)". No example of the drink sense could be checked in the sources, so point at the cup as well.

4. Iria rĩa ng'ombe

   Cow's milk

   Usage

   To ask for cow's milk. "iria" alone can also mean a lake, so "of the cow" is added. To order a drink, or to point at a drink and ask.

   Grammar Note

   The Bible has "iria rĩa ng'ombe" (cow's milk). "iria" means milk but also lake or sea (Wiktionary). The apostrophe in "ng'ombe" is required.

5. Ũcũrũ

   Ũcũrũ (thin porridge)

   Usage

   A thin porridge made from millet or maize flour, sipped as a morning drink. To order a drink, or to point at a drink and ask.

   Grammar Note

   Class 14 noun (plural macũrũ). Wiktionary gives "gruel, porridge"; Benson 1964 has an example about gulping ũcũrũ. Both ũ need the tilde.

6. Njoohi

   Njoohi (traditional liquor)

   Usage

   A traditional drink brewed from sugar cane or honey. Raise alcohol only after reading the setting and company. To order a drink, or to point at a drink and ask.

   Grammar Note

   Class 9/10. Wiktionary: alcoholic drink from sugar cane or honey; Benson 1964: "weak beer". Spelled "njoohi" as in the Bible (doubled vowel, 28 times); Benson 1964 writes njohi.

7. Mũratina

   Mũratina (sausage tree)

   Usage

   A tree with long fruits; the fruit is used to ferment traditional drink, and in Nyeri County the name is also heard for the drink. To order a drink, or to point at a drink and ask.

   Grammar Note

   Class 3 noun. Listed in both Wiktionary and Benson 1964 (Kigelia). Not in the Bible.

8. Ndibei

   Wine

   Usage

   The word for wine made from grapes. To order a drink, or to point at a drink and ask.

   Grammar Note

   Bible 271 times, and a Benson 1964 headword (loan from Swahili divai). It has plain i, no tilde.

9. Tusker

   Tusker (Kenyan beer)

   Usage

   Kenya's best-known beer brand, ordered by name in bars and restaurants. To order a drink, or to point at a drink and ask.

   Grammar Note

   A brand name, spelled as is. It is not in the Kikuyu dictionaries.

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