Indulgences

1. Ũũkĩ

   Honey

   Usage

   Honey, used to sweeten tea and porridge and also bought as a souvenir. To order or ask about a sweet or a treat.

   Grammar Note

   The Bible has "iria na ũũkĩ" (milk and honey) 21 times, spelled with the doubled vowel "ũũkĩ". The dictionaries (Wiktionary, Benson) have no headword.

2. Cukari

   Sugar

   Usage

   Sugar for tea or coffee. To order or ask about a sweet or a treat.

   Grammar Note

   Class 14 noun. Listed in both Wiktionary and Benson 1964 (loan from Swahili sukari, with s turned into c). Do not write "sukari".

3. Kĩgwa

   Sugar cane

   Usage

   Sugar cane sold by the roadside, chewed for its juice. To order or ask about a sweet or a treat.

   Grammar Note

   Class 7 noun. Listed in both Wiktionary and Benson 1964. Wiktionary adds that its juice is used for the drink njohi.

4. Mbakĩ

   Tobacco

   Usage

   Tobacco; useful when asked whether you smoke or when asking where it is sold. To order or ask about a sweet or a treat.

   Grammar Note

   Class 9/10. Wiktionary "tobacco"; Benson 1964 "mbaki, 1. tobacco". The tilde on the final ĩ follows the Wiktionary headword.

5. Mandazi

   Mandazi (fried dough)

   Usage

   A fried dough snack, found at stalls and eateries as a tea-time treat. To order or ask about a sweet or a treat.

   Grammar Note

   The spelling used on Kenyan menus and stalls. The Kikuyu dictionaries have no entry and no Kikuyu respelling was made.

6. Samosa

   Samosa (savoury pastry)

   Usage

   A fried triangular pastry filled with meat or vegetables. To order or ask about a sweet or a treat.

   Grammar Note

   The spelling used on Kenyan menus and stalls. The Kikuyu dictionaries have no entry and no Kikuyu respelling was made.

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