Meru language

Meru is a Bantu language spoken by the Meru people (Ameru) who live on the Eastern and Northern slopes of Mount Kenya and on the Nyambene ranges. They settled in this area after centuries of migration from the north.

For the language spoken in Tanzania and sometimes known as Meru, see West Kilimanjaro language.
Meru
Kĩmĩĩrũ
Native toKenya
RegionMeru County and Tharaka Nithi County
EthnicityAmeru
Native speakers
2.0 million (2009 census)[1]
Dialects
  • Igembe
  • Igoji
  • Imenti
  • Miutini
  • Nuclear Meru
  • Tigania
Language codes
ISO 639-3
mer – Meru
Glottologmeru1245  Meru
E.53,531,54,541[2]

The Meru people are a fairly homogeneous community and all share a common ancestry. They speak the same language, Kimeru, but there are some slight regional differences, in accent and local words. The community comprises the following subdivisions, from the north to south:

  • Igembe
  • Tigania (Tiania) (culture close to neighbouring Cushitic and Nilotic communities)
  • Imenti
  • Tharaka (Saraka)
  • Igoji
  • Mwimbi–Muthambi
  • Chuka (Gicuka) (marginal intelligibility with Meru proper and with Gikuyu.

As the Meru language is similar to its surrounding neighbors, the Kikuyu and Embu could have possibly adopted parts of Meru.

Sample phrases
EnglishKimeru
How are youMuuga
Give me waterMpa rũũji/rũi
How are you doing?Ũrĩ o mwega?
I am hungryNdĩna mpara
Help meNteithia/Ntethia
I am goodNdĩ mwega
Are you a friend?Wĩ mũcore?
Bye, be blessedTigwa bwega, tharimwa.
I love youIkwendete.
Come hereĨja aja/ Iyu aa
I will phone youNgakũringira thimũ

I want a cassava||Ndũmia mũkwanga/mĩkwanga

Dialects

Kimeru has seven main mutually intelligible dialects. The dialects include kiimenti widely used by the Imenti section of the Ameru, Tiania/gitiania used by the tigania, kiigembe used by the Igembe, kimwimbi and Muthambi used by the Igoji and Chogoria, Gicuka used by the Chuka and Kitharaka used by the Tharaka.

Imenti dialect

It is the commonly used dialect in Meru. The dialect acts as the lingua franca between all the nine subtribes of Meru. It is the official dialect used in the Kimeru Bible translations. It is commonly used in Nkubu, Timau, Kibirichia, Meru town and Ruiri areas of Meru County.

Sample phrases
EnglishImenti
How are youNĩatĩa ũrĩ? Muuga?
Give me waterMpa rũũji
HomeNja/Mũciĩ
Get outUma njaa/ome
Get InsideKũrũka/Tonya
TodayNaarua
TomorrowRũjo
Come hereĨja aja
I will phone youNgakũringira thimũ

The Chuka, Muthambi and Mwimbi dialects
Chuka dialect
Niger–Congo?
  • Chuka dialect
Language codes
ISO 639-3cuh
Glottologchuk1274  Chuka
Muthambi dialect
Niger–Congo?
  • Muthambi dialect
Language codes
ISO 639-3mws
Glottologmuth1242  Muthambi
Mwimbi dialect
Niger–Congo?
  • Mwimbi dialect
Language codes
ISO 639-3mws
Glottologmwim1242  Mwimbi

The dialects are more related to Gikuyu and Meru proper, and are common in Igoji, Chogoria and Chuka regions of Meru County and Tharaka Nithi County.

Sample phrases
EnglishChuka/Muthambi/Mwimbi
How are youMuuga
Give me waterMpa maaĩ/rũnjĩ
HomeMũcii
Get outUma nja
Get InsideKũrũka/Tonya/Thungira
TodayŨmũnthi
TomorrowRũjũ/Rũũ
Come hereŨka aja
I will phone youNgakũringira/Ngakubũrira thimũ

Tigania and Igembe dialects
Tigania dialect
Niger–Congo?
  • Tigania dialect
Language codes
ISO 639-3–
Glottologtiga1244  Tigania
Igembe dialect
Niger–Congo?
  • Igembe dialect
Language codes
ISO 639-3–
Glottologigem1238  Igembe

The dialects are mostly spoken in Miraa or Khat growing areas of Muthara, Karama, Kangeta, Maua, Laare and Mutuati in Meru County.

Sample phrases
EnglishTIgania/Igembe
How are youMuua
Give me waterNthaania/mpa Rũĩ
HomeMucie/Mucii
Get outTũra
Get InsideUnkuma
TodayRuarii
TomorrowRũũ/Rũyũ
Come hereĨya haa/iyu haa
I will phone youNgakũringira thimũ

Tharaka dialect
Tharaka dialect
Niger–Congo?
  • Tharaka dialect
Language codes
ISO 639-3thk
Glottologthar1283  Tharaka

The dialect is more closely related to the Kamba and Tigania dialects. It is most common in Tharaka areas of Tharaka Nithi County.

Sample phrases
EnglishTharaka
How are youMuuga
Give me waterMpa rũũyĩ
HomeMũciĩ
Get outUma nja
Get InsideThũngĩra
TodayĨmunthĩ
TomorrowRũũ
Come hereNcũ aga
I will phone youNgakũringĩra thimũ

Alphabet

Kimeru is written in a Latin alphabet. It does not use the letters f p q s v x z, and adds the letters ĩ and ũ.[3] The Kimeru alphabet is:

Majuscule forms (also called uppercase or capital letters)
ABCDEGHIĨJKMNORTUŨWY
Minuscule forms (also called lowercase or small letters)
abcdeghiĩjkmnortuũwy

A Kenyan musical group known as High Pitch Band Afrika based in Meru County has done a cover of the Luis Fonsi's popular hit single Despacito in Kimeru language. The Kimeru cover was uploaded on YouTube on July 10, 2017, and has generated over 500,000 views since then.

In Media the Kimeru language is used as the primary broadcast language of several Radio and TV stations in Kenya. Some include: Meru Fm, Muuga Fm, Weru Fm, Weru TV, Baite TV, Thiiri Fm among many others.

References
  1. Meru at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. "5 Steps to get you Writing Kimeru like a Njuri Ncheke Editor - The Ameru". The Ameru. 2017-11-08. Retrieved 2018-04-30.


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