Kalenjin languages

The Kalenjin languages are a family of a dozen Southern Nilotic languages spoken in Kenya, eastern Uganda and northern Tanzania. The term Kalenjin comes from an expression meaning 'I say (to you)' or 'I have told you' (present participle tense). 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 through the twentieth century; see Kalenjin people and Kalenjin language.

Branches

The Kalenjin languages are classified within the Glottolog database as follows:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Kalenjin
  • Central Kalenjin
    • Kipsigis
    • Plateau Central Kalenjin
      • Tugen
      • Western Plateau Central Kalenjin
        • Keiyo
        • Nandi
        • Terik
  • Elgon–Mau Kalenjin
    • Kupsabiny
    • Sabaot
  • Northern Kalenjin
    • Markweeta
    • Pökoot
  • Okiek–Akie
    • Akie
    • Okiek

Comparative vocabulary

Sample basic vocabulary of Kalenjin languages from van Otterloo (1979),<ref>van Otterloo, Roger. 1979. A Kalenjin dialect study. (Language Data Africa Series, 18.) Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics.</ref> and Proto-Southern Nilotic from Rottland (1982):<ref>Rottland, Franz. 1982. Die Südnilotischen Sprachen: Beschreibung, Vergleichung und Rekonstruktion (Kölner Beiträge zur Afrikanistik vol. 7). Berlin: Dietrich Reimer.</ref>

Language	eye	ear	nose	tooth	tongue	mouth	blood	bone	tree	water	to eat	name
Proto-Southern Nilotic	lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}		lang}}	lang}}	lang}}		lang}}
Nandi	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}
Kipsigis	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}
Terik	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}
Keiyo	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}
South Tugen	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}
North Tugen	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}
Kony-Sabaot	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}
Cherang'any	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}
Talai	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}
Endo	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}
East Pokot	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}	lang}}

References

• https://www.amazon.de/Kalenjin-Grammar-Beginners-Complete-Textbook-ebook/dp/B09VLL15M7
• Distefano, John Albert. 1985. The precolonial history of the Kalenjin of Kenya: a methodological comparison of linguistic and oral traditional evidence. Doctoral dissertation, University of California at Los Angeles.
• 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.)
• van Otterloo, Roger. 1979. A Kalenjin dialect study. (Language Data Africa Series, 18.) Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics.

External links

• Kalenjin–English Dictionary
• Template:Usurped
• Phonology of Endo - a Kalenjin language