Kikuyunization of the English Language

Betrayed by My Roots

You can take a boy out of the village, but you can’t take the village out of the boy. This commonly quoted assertion is true for most people wherever they come from. The town or city where you end up is irrelevant; you will always carry your village with you wherever you go. Consequently, the village in you will reveal itself at the most inopportune times and embarrass you in ways you never thought possible. I have been betrayed by my roots this way many times, and am sure you have too.

Betrayed by Your Name

When the former Vice President, Kalonzo Musyoka, accused a journalist of being betrayed by his name, he was just being shallow. This is simply because; you cannot tell what someone’s views are just from his name. You can however expect the confirmation of many things about a person’s roots.

Accent

Perhaps the biggest culprit of betrayal by roots is one’s accent. It is comforting to know that this betrayal is universal and affects people from every part of the world. You may come from a place where the “sh” sound comes out as “s”. You might also be one of those who have a problem differentiating “b” from “p”. If you, like me, come from a place where “R” and “L” are used interchangeably, then be comforted that your stigma is shared by many.

Kikuyunization of the English Language

I come from a community where speaking English is such a task that we have modified the English language to suit us. It is what my friend, Kariuki, from our village used to call the “Kikuyunization of the English Language”.

There are certain rules of the Kikuyu language that you need to know in order to understand why English has to be Kikuyunized before it can become palatable to a Kikuyu’s tongue.

Extra Vowels

There are 2 extra vowels found in Kikuyu that are not found in English. These are “í”, pronounced “aye” as in ace and “ú”, pronounced “ooh” as in awful. These vowels are the culprits that ensure most modern Kikuyus cannot read or write in their mother tongue. It is only thanks to the old education system that some of us were taught vernacular languages in school.

If you hear a Kikuyu person pronounce names and words in a way that does not make sense to you, it is only because he is utilising a part of the alphabet that you don’t possess. Any other pronunciation would make him feel stifled especially if he is from my generation.

Missing Consonants

There is no letter”f” in Kikuyu, its sound is produced by the letter “b”. Letters “p” and “q” also do not exist and neither do their sounds. The letter “s” is not used but its sound is produced by “c”. Letters “x” and “z” do not exist at all in Kikuyu. It is interesting to note that there is no letter “l” in Kikuyu but we make do with “r” as an alternative. These two appear to be used interchangeably and it is not uncommon to hear a kinsman refer to “ala” and “ero”.

Vowel and Consonant Arrangement

There is no Kikuyu word that ends in a consonant. All words end in vowels. In Kikuyunizing English therefore, you have to insert a suitable vowel at the end of those words which are missing one.

In the Kikuyu language, consonants do not usually follow each other consecutively. If you have to Kikuyunize such a word, you will insert a befitting vowel between the two consonants. The exception to this rule is “mb” and “nd” which occur in certain words. In the spirit of Kikuyunization, it is not uncommon to find the “seepage” of these two combinations into English.

Assignment

If you are from the slopes or are just a good sport, I have an assignment for you. Using the rules outlined above, please Kikuyunize the following sentences;

• Polio is an extremely debilitating disease 
•  Incarceration in a penitentiary is dependent on prior convictions 
•  Optimization of language is achieved through correct pronunciation 
•  Proper dictation ensures good spelling 
•  Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry 
•  Lux has a rather creamy lather

P.S. I believe there is only one Kenyan language that does not need adjustment to make it speakable in English. I am sure my friend “Furanjethi” from the shores concurs.