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3 Lessons
4 Lessons

Kikuyu Alphabet and Vowels: Phonology and Morphology

Phonology is the study of the building blocks of language. Morphology, on the other hand, is the study of the rules that govern how these blocks are put together. In other words, It establishes the rules that govern the internal structure of words and how they are formed or altered.


Here is the Kikuyu alphabet. a b c d e g h i ĩ j k m n o r t u ũ w y.


Vowels

Gĩkũyũ is written with seven vowels. Two of the additional vowels are i-tilde (ĩ) and u-tilde (ũ). These are: a (low /central), e (ɛ Mid-low/Front), i (high/front), ĩ (e Mid-high/Front), o (ɔ Mid-low /Back), u (High/Back), ũ (o Mid-high/Back).

Kikuyu and Italian seem to share the same vowels - /a/, /e/, /ɛ/, /i/, /o/, /ɔ/, /u/


The vowels are pronounced in two groups. The first group below is non-rounded, pronounced in the anterior position.


Openness

Kikuyu Vowel

Kikuyu meaning

IPA letter

English equivalent

semi-open

i

Iga (keep)

i

deed

semi-closed

ĩ

ĩka (do)

e

clay

semi-open

e

endia (sell)

ɛ

debt

open

a

aaca (no)

a

animal



Openness

Kikuyu Vowel

Kikuyu word and meaning

IPA letter

English equivalent

Closed

u

uma (come out)

u

pool

semi-closed

ũ

ũka (Come)

o

open

semi-open

o

oha (tie)

ɔ

aw
















Aca (no),

Athiĩ (he/she has gone),

arĩa (has eaten),

Athamaki (kings/rulers)

e – like the e in “hen, pen, ”eha? (where is he/she?),

kena (be happy),

ndehere (bring to me)

ĩ – as the i in “it”. This writer suggests that a in “ate, hate, late” are closer to the real pronunciation.

ĩkĩra (put),

thĩna (problems, poverty),

mĩtĩ (trees)