Kikuyu, also written Gikuyu, is the language of the Kikuyu, a major ethnic group of Kenya who numbered about 4.4 million in 1987, roughly 20 percent of the country population. It has three predominant dialects and is linguistically related to the other Bantu-speaking groups of central Kenya, among them the Kamba, Embu, Mbere, Tharaka and Meru. Its speakers call themselves Mugikuyu in the singular and Agikuyu in the plural, and the Kikuyu have no unique written language of their own, so much of what is known about their traditional culture comes from rich oral traditions.
Facts
Classification
Language Kind Connections
In Family
Source Encyclopedia.com: Kikuyu
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Cases Where Used
Also in Society and Culture Atlas: used in this subject.
Source Encyclopedia.com (Encyclopedia of World Cultures): KikuyuLanguage sectionQuote, Language section
The Kikuyu language, which has three predominant dialects, is linguistically related to other Bantu-speaking groups in central Kenya, including the Kamba, Embu, Mbere, Tharaka, and Meru.
Found In
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Source Encyclopedia.com: KikuyuOpeningQuote, Opening
The Kikuyu, a major ethnic group of Kenya, numbered about 4.4 million in 1987, accounting for about 20 percent of Kenya's population of 25 million.
Sources
1. Glottolog: Kikuyu (Glottolog kiku1240)
GlottologEndangerment, AES statusQuote, Endangerment, AES status
not endangered
View the Source Encyclopedia.com: Kikuyu
In Family: Bantu, Language sectionQuote, In Family: Bantu, Language section
The Kikuyu language, which has three predominant dialects, is linguistically related to other Bantu-speaking groups in central Kenya, including the Kamba, Embu, Mbere, Tharaka, and Meru.
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