kenda mũiyũru

Kikuyu

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kɛ́ⁿdáꜜ moìjóɾù(ꜜ)/

Numeral

kenda mũiyũru class 14

ten[1]
Synonyms: ikũmi, mũrongo

Usage notes

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

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

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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, Nairobi: Sliced Onion Company Limited, →ISBN, page 63

[3] Olney, James (1973) Tell Me Africa: An Approach to African Literature‎, Princeton University Press, page 89