gikuyu

Thân thiện

A student learns to speak Gikuyu in a language class.

Definition

Proper noun A Bantu language spoken primarily by the Kikuyu (Gĩkũyũ) people in the central highlands and western regions of Kenya. It is one of the major languages of Kenya.

Usage Examples

• The researcher is documenting oral histories in Gikuyu.
• Learning Gikuyu helps in understanding the cultural nuances of central Kenya.
• She translated the document from English into Gikuyu.

Advanced Usage

• Ethnologue Code: The language is assigned the ISO 639-3 code .
• Linguistic Classification: Gikuyu is classified under the Niger-Congo language family, specifically within the Bantu group (Zone E).

Variants and Related Words

• Kikuyu: This is the most common alternate spelling for the language name in English.
• Gĩkũyũ: The orthographically correct form in the language itself, using diacritics.
• Agĩkũyũ: Refers to the Kikuyu people collectively.

Synonyms

• Kikuyu (language)

Notes on Meaning

The word Gikuyu refers specifically to the language. The related term "Kikuyu" can sometimes be used ambiguously to refer to the people, the culture, or the language, but Gikuyu is predominantly a linguistic term.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a Bantu language spoken in western Kenya

Từ đồng nghĩa

• gikuyu