Kalenjin Naming System
The Kalenjin are a Nilotic people living in Kenya. They speak Kalenjin language which is spoken in dialects specific to individual contingent tribes and/or sub-tribes. The system observes that every name of a person, object or place has a meaning.[1] The system has been subject to westernization and attrition to linguistics due to the Kenyan adoption of Swahili language as a lingua-franca and the dynamic view that indigenous languages are provincial and irrelevant.
Naming is referred to as Kogoochinet-aab Kainaiik. Names are referred to as Kainaiik.
Names of People
First Name (Kip/Kib Name)
The first name of the Kipsigis males is prefixed by the term 'Kip' and then added a suffix descriptive of the prenatal, natal or post-natal places or time or weather and situations. It was to be widely used before initiation and rarely after, only as the mother mourns a dead soldier son or during divorce.
| Kip-name | Meaning | notable personalities |
|---|---|---|
| Kipkorir | Before the crack of dawn | |
| Kipyegon | During Dawn | |
| Kipkoech | Born with the rising sun | |
| Kimutai | Of early morning | David Kimutai Rotich, |
| Kipng'eno | with the awakening sheep | Prof. Moses King'eno Rugut, |
| Kipng'etich | with the awakening cattle | |
| Kibet | Of the daytime | |
| Kiprono | Of the returning sheep | Moses Kiprono arap Keino, Prof. Paul Kiprono Chepkwony, Prof. Richard Kiprono Mibey, Magerer Kiprono Langat, Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, |
| Kiprotich/Kiprotug | Of the returning cattle | Prof. Davy Kiprotich Koech |
| Kiplang'at | Of the evening | |
| Kipkemoi/Kipkemboi | Of the night | |
| Kipkurui/Kipkirui | Of the sleep-time | Kipkurui Misogi, |
| Cheriot/Cheruiyot | John Cheruiyot Korir, Peter Cheruiyot Kirui, Edwin Cheruiyot Soi, | |
| Kipjumba/Kipchumba | 'Caucasoid' - Metro-sexual/Metropolitan | Janzen Kipchumba Bett |
| Kiprop | Of the rain | |
| Kipsang' | Of the open | John Korir Kipsang, |
| Kibii | Within the compound | |
| Kibor | Born during a safari, journey or on the road | |
| Kipruto | In adventure, travel or when visiting a place away from home | |
| Kiptoo | In hosting of guests | |
| Kipchirchir | In haste | William Kipchirchir Samoei Ruto, |
| Kipketer | Around and about the eaves | |
| Kipkurgat | Of the doorway | |
| Kipkoskei | Whose first sneeze was delayed at birth | |
| Kipng'eny | Within and about salt lick rocks | |
| Kimetet | Prof. Jonathan Kimetet Araap Ngeno | |
| Kipturturi or Kibuigut | Stamerer | |
| Kipkemei | Of the dry season/famine | |
| Kipkalya | During ratification of peace | Kipkalya Kones, |
| Kipsiele | In moment or event of drinking beer | Paul Kipsiele Koech, |
| Kiprugut | Hunger/famine | Wilson Kiprugut arap Chumo |
| Kipsalat | Darker in complexion | |
| Kipmolel | Brown in complexion |
Patronymic 'Araap' Surname
After males were initiated at about their late teenage and early adulthood, they would come out as having achieved citizenship of the Kipsigis jurisdiction and would be accorded a patronymic surname derived from the first name of the father. For instance, if the father is named Kiptoo, his son after being initiated is accorded the name Araap Too.
Firstname (Che/Chep names)
| Chep- name | Meaning | Notable Personalities |
|---|---|---|
| Chepkorir | Of sunrise | |
| Chepkoech | Born with the rising sun | |
| Chemutai | Of early morning | |
| Chepng'eno | with the awakening sheep | Hellen Chepngeno, |
| Chepng'etich | with the awakening cattle | |
| Chebeet | Of the daytime | Emily Chebet, |
| Cherono | Of the returning sheep | Dr.Joyce Cherono Laboso, Mercy Cherono, |
| Cherotich/Cherotug | Of the returning cattle | |
| Chelang'at | Of the evening | |
| Chepkemoi | Of the night | |
| Chepkirui/Chepkurui | Of the sleep-time | Dr.Gladys Chepkirui Ngetich, Lineth Chepkurui, |
| Chepchumba | 'Caucasoid' - Metro-sexual/Metropolitan | Joyce Chepchumba, |
| Cherop | Of the rain | |
| Chesang' | Of the open | |
| Chebii | Within the compound | |
| Chepwogen | Took a longer natal period | |
| Chebor | Within the compound | |
| Cheruto | In adventure or travel | |
| Cheptoo | In hosting of guests | |
| Chepchirchir | In haste | |
| Chepketer | Around and about the eaves | |
| Chepkurgat | Of the doorway | |
| Chepkoske | Whose first sneeze was delayed at birth | |
| Chepng'eny | Within and about salt lick rocks | |
| Chepkemei | Of the dry season | |
| Chepkalya | During ratification of peaceful tidings | |
| Chepsiele/Chesiele | In moment or event of drinking beer |
Matronymic 'Tab' Maiden Name
Other female names
A barren woman however could marry another woman under marriage custom called Kitunji Toloj in order to ensure that she had children to pass on her property. She is thus taken for a "man" i.e. had to pay for dowry. She is then referred to as Chemenjo or Chepotipiik.[2]
Names of Places
Naming of places followed acquisition of territory of another 'foreigners' or establishment of new village settlements. Places were usually named after trees, wildlife, prominent personalities and/or peculiarity of the locality. Place names could also have been borrowed after successful expeditions of territory expansion thus names of such earlier inhabitants may be retained.
| Place | Location | Origin of Place Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgut | Kipsigis | Burning Mouth | |
| Kabianga | Kisii | Cannot | |
| Cheptenye | Kipsigis | Retundant, slant growth | |
| Sigowet | Kipsigis | 'Sigowet tree' | |
| Soin | Kipsigis | Hot lowlands | |
| Kiptere | Kipsigis | A place of ceramic pots | |
| Kipkelion | Kipsigis | A place of the 'Keliek tree' | |
| Londiani | Maasai | ||
| Kericho | Maasai | ||
| Kapsuser | Kipsigis | A place/ the home of weevils | |
| Chemosit
Giant river located there |
Kipsigis | Giant/Bear | |
| Bureti | |||
| Chemosot | |||
| Chesingoro | |||
| Litein | Kipsigis/Maasai named after a rock used for sharpening tools or weapons synonym is liteito | ||
| Cheplanget | Kipsigis | Leopard | |
| Kapkatet | Kipsigis | A thorny place | |
| Kaplong | Maasai | ||
| Sotik | Kipsigis/Maasai | ||
| Ndanai | Kipsigis/Maasai | ||
| Chebilat | Kipsigis | A place of lightning and thunderstorms. | |
| Rongena | Maasai | ||
| Sotit | |||
| Kenyagoro | |||
| Bomet | Borrowed Swahili | Night cattle paddock | |
| Kapletundo | |||
References
- Fish, Burnette C. (1995). The Kalenjiin heritage : traditional religious and social practices. Africa Gospel Church. p. 217. ISBN 0-9620406-6-5. OCLC 40199906.
- "Kenya's legal same-sex marriages". BBC News. 15 February 2012.