kenda mũiyũru

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Kikuyu

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Etymology

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kenda (nine) + mũ- (adjectival prefix: Class 14) + -iyũru (full), thus “full nine”.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /kɛ́ⁿdáꜜ moìjóɾù(ꜜ)/

Numeral

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kenda mũiyũru class 14

  1. ten[1]
    Synonyms: ikũmi, mũrongo

Usage notes

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Although Kikuyu language has terms indicating “ten” as listed in the synonymy, this number used to be believed to be unlucky and this euphemism was used instead when they counted.[2] This expression also implies the number of Kikuyu clans (mĩhĩrĩga).[3]

References

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  1. ^ “-iyũru” in Benson, T.G. (1964). Kikuyu-English dictionary, p. 194. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
  2. ^ Kamau, Susan (2013) Let's Cook Kenya: National Ethnic Foods[1], Nairobi: Sliced Onion Company Limited, →ISBN, page 63
  3. ^ Olney, James (1973) Tell Me Africa: An Approach to African Literature[2], Princeton University Press, page 89