nyũngũ

Kikuyu

Etymology

Hinde (1904) records nyungu as an equivalent of English cooking vessel in “Jogowini dialect” of Kikuyu, listing also “Ulu dialect” (spoken then from Machakos to coastal area) of Kamba nuungu as its equivalent.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɲò.ᵑɡǒ/

As for Tonal Class, Armstrong (1940) classifies this term into mote class which includes mũtĩ, gĩkwa (pl. ikwa), gĩthaka, kĩnya, kĩrũũmi, mũcinga, mũgate, mũhaka, mũrũthi, njagĩ, njohi, nyũmba, etc. Benson (1964) classifies this term into Class 2 with a disyllabic stem, together with kĩgunyũ, njagĩ, kiugũ, and so on.

• (Kiambu)

• (Limuru) As for Tonal Class, Yukawa (1981) classifies this term into a group including gĩkwa (pl. ikwa), ithangũ (pl. mathangũ), kiugũ, kĩboko, kĩgunyũ, kĩnya, kĩroboto, kĩrũũmi, mbogo, mũcinga, mũgate, mũhaka, mũrangi, mũrũthi, ndaraca, ndirica, njohi, nyũmba, thĩ, and so on.

Noun

nyũngũ class 9/10 (plural nyũngũ)

1. earthen pot used for cooking or keeping something

   nyũngũ ya mbarĩki - pot for keeping castor-oil

Derived terms

(Proverbs)

• aka erĩ nĩ nyũngũ igĩrĩ cia ũrogi
• nyũngũ ya mũingĩ ndĩagaga mũteng'ũri

See also

• ndigithũ, thaburia

References

• “nyũngũ” in Benson, T.G. (1964). Kikuyu-English dictionary. Oxford: Clarendon Press.