Culture & Etiquette

1. Gĩkũyũ

   Gĩkũyũ (the Kikuyu people and language)

   Usage

   The name of the Kikuyu, Kenya's largest ethnic group, and of their language. To bring it up in conversation, or to ask about the name.

   Grammar Note

   Wiktionary: the Kikuyu people collectively, and the Kikuyu language; Benson 1964 has a capitalised headword. The English spelling Kikuyu is not used inside Kikuyu text.

2. Ngai

   Ngai (God)

   Usage

   In traditional Kikuyu belief God lives on Kĩrĩnyaga (Mount Kenya). Most people are now Christian, and churches use the same word. To bring it up in conversation, or to ask about the name.

   Grammar Note

   Class 1 noun. Over 5,500 times in the Bible; Wiktionary "God". The ki.wikipedia article says the Kikuyu believe Ngai lives on Kĩrĩnyaga.

3. Mũgumo

   Mũgumo (sacred fig tree)

   Usage

   A large fig tree that the Kikuyu have long treated as sacred. To bring it up in conversation, or to ask about the name.

   Grammar Note

   Class 3 noun. Wiktionary: any of several Ficus species, regarded as sacred by the Kikuyu; also a Benson 1964 headword. The ũ needs its tilde.

4. Jomo Kenyatta

   Jomo Kenyatta (first president of Kenya)

   Usage

   Kenya's first president after independence. His name is on an airport, a university and a convention centre, so it comes up when explaining place names. To bring it up in conversation, or to ask about the name.

   Grammar Note

   The name is written in its usual form. ki.wikipedia has an article on him.

5. Wangarĩ Maathai

   Wangarĩ Maathai (environmental activist)

   Usage

   Born in Nyeri County; she spread tree-planting across Kenya and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. To bring it up in conversation, or to ask about the name.

   Grammar Note

   A personal name. The en.wikipedia title writes "Wangarĩ" with the tilde on ĩ, and that spelling is followed.

6. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

   Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (writer)

   Usage

   A writer from Limuru who wrote part of his fiction in Gĩkũyũ and argued for writing in African languages. To bring it up in conversation, or to ask about the name.

   Grammar Note

   A personal name, spelled as the en.wikipedia title; ũ and ĩ need their tildes, and "ng'" in Thiong'o needs the apostrophe.

7. Mugithi

   Mugithi (Kikuyu guitar-and-song music)

   Usage

   Kikuyu music in which a single singer plays guitar, also heard in Nairobi venues. To bring it up in conversation, or to ask about the name.

   Grammar Note

   The spelling used for the music genre. Songs are in Gĩkũyũ (en.wikipedia). The Kikuyu dictionaries have no entry, so the spelling was not remade.

8. Harambee

   Harambee ("all pull together")

   Usage

   Kenya's national motto; it also names community fundraising events for schools or clinics. To bring it up in conversation, or to ask about the name.

   Grammar Note

   A Swahili word meaning "all pull together"; en.wikipedia has an article. Kikuyu speakers use it unchanged.

Browse all TravelPhrases languages