Kalenjin Grammar for Beginners: Complete Textbook and Workbook for Kalenjin

By Ng'etich Eddy

This book seeks to provide teaching aid to the learning of the kalenjin / Keiyo language.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 31, 2020
• ISBN: 9781678110062

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Ng’ētĭch Eddy

Degem

<2019>

Copyright © <2021> by

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

First Printing: 2021

ISBN <978-1-67811-006-2>

Post Office Box 410,

Eldoret, Kenya -30100

www. koitoror-university.teachable.com

Dedication

To the learner.

Contents

Acknowledgements      ix

Foreword      xi

Preface      1

Introduction      1

PART I      3

THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE KEIYO LANGUAGE      3

THE ALPHABET      3

SOUNDS OF THE LETTERS[1]      3

QUANTITY      8

HOW TO READ KEIYO      8

PART II      11

WORDS AND FORMS      11

LESSON I      11

FIRST PRINCIPLES      11

LESSON II      12

FORMATION OF TENSES.      27

SIMPLE VERBS.    Active Voice.  Indicative Tenses.      27

Present.      27

IMPERATIVE.      33

THE NEGATIVE CONJUGATION.      34

PART III:SENTENCES, PROVERBS, RIDDLES AND RULES OF GRAMMAR      38

CONSTRUCTIONS      38

INTRODUCTORY NOTE      38

PARTICIPLES.      40

INFINITIVE.      40

INTRODUCTORY SUGGESTIONS      50

APPENDICES      61

APPENDIX 1: LEGEND OF KAP-KUUGO.      62

APPENDIX 2: BUGS AND ANIMALS      80

APPENDIX 3: COWS, AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE      85

Notes      87

English – Kalenjin Dictionary      91

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my teachers, my editor and my family without whose help this book would never have been completed.

Thank you for your patience and guidance, your use of the editor’s red pen…

Preface

To make the course preparatory and  at the same time systematic, thorough, clear, and interesting is the purpose of this series of lessons. 

The first pages are devoted to a brief discussion of the Kalenjin language, keiyo dialect, its history, and its educational value. The body of the site, consisting of seventy-nine lessons, is divided into three parts. 

 Part I is devoted to pronunciation, quantity, accent, and kindred introductory essentials. 

 Part II carries the work through the first sixty lessons, and is devoted to the study of forms and vocabulary, together with some elementary constructions, a knowledge of which is necessary for the translation of the exercises and reading matter. The first few lessons have been made unusually simple, to meet the wants of learners not well grounded in English grammar. 

Part III contains nineteen lessons, and is concerned primarily with the study of syntax and of subjunctive and irregular verb forms. The last three of these lessons constitute a review of all the constructions presented in the book. There is abundant easy reading matter; and, in order to secure proper concentration of effort upon syntax and translation, no new vocabularies are introduced, but the vocabularies in Part II are reviewed 

Part III also a few of the commoner idioms in Keiyo are introduced and the sentences are drawn mainly from that author. From first to last a consistent effort is made to instill a proper regard for Keiyo word order, the first principles of which are laid down early in the course. 

Introduction

History and Social Structure  

The Keiyo live in the western section of Africa's Great Rift Valley in an administrative district bearing the same name—Keiyo District.  Most Keiyo lived along the slopes of the Elgeyo Escarpment, a spectacular geological feature that drops in elevation from 2,590 m (8,500 ft) in the highlands to 1,070 m (3,500 ft) in the Kerio River Valley. Keiyo also lived in the highlands of the fertile Uasin Gishu plateau and have taken up farming of cash crops. 

 There are three predominant sub dialects of Keiyo dialect. These are Irong, Mutei and Metkei. 

Territorially, the Elgeiyo People divided their land into 16-east-west stretches to control intermarriage and displacement of a clan by other clans and a system of totems were acquired. The land was divided so that each group had access to the banks of Kerio River. 

The land was sub-divided to members of the same clan marked by a series of stones referred to as Koiwek. 

The Elgeiyo social organisation centres on the age-set, or ebendo. There are eight age-sets (ebenwek) which are rotational, meaning after the end of one age set (after approximately 120 years), new members of age-set are born.  The age set system is organized in such a way that a father and a son cannot be of the same or sequential age sets. That is, there ought to be one ebendo between a father and a son. For example, a Kipkoimet cannot beget a Kaplelach. The Keiyo don't consider a woman to have an age set, hence she can marry any age set except that in which her father belongs. 

Maina  

Chumo (about 1923) 

Sawe  

Korongoro (about 1953) 

Kipkoimet 

Kaplelach -  (about 1977 - about 1992) 

Kipnyigei 

Nyongi - 2013 

As their first language, or mother tongue, the Keiyo speak a dialect of Kalenjin, a language of the southern section of the Nilotic branch, which is part of the Chari-Nile language group of Africa. 

 The Kalenjin language is sound based, meaning most nouns, animals and verbs get their words from the sounds created by them or their performance. This will become evident as the lessons progress.  

There are three Kalenjin dialect clusters: one consists of the Sabaot, along with the Sebei and Kony; another is made up of Pokot, northern Marakwetand northern Tugen; and the third includes the Nandi, Kipsigis, Keiyo, Terikand southern Tugen and Marakwet. Although these dialects are all supposedly mutually intelligible, speakers of one dialect often have difficulty understanding speakers of another.  

These really one in language and customs, and are disposed in a semicircular belt extending from Mount Elgon to the southern Mau, but not reaching the shores of Lake Victoria at any point. 

This book seeks to provide teaching aid to the learning of the Keiyo  dialect of the Kalenjin language.

PART I 

THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE KALENJIN LANGUAGE 

THE ALPHABET 

«1.» The Kalenjin alphabet contains the same letters as the English except that it has no f,j,q,v,w,x and no z. 

«2.» The vowels, as in English, are a, e, i, o, u, y. The other letters are consonants. 

«3.» I is used both as a vowel and as a consonant. Before a vowel in the same syllable it has the value of a consonant and is called I consonant. 

Thus in Iuni & itik  the first i is a consonant, the second a vowel. 

SOUNDS OF THE LETTERS[1] 

[N.B. The sounds of the letters are best learned by hearing them correctly pronounced. The matter in this section is, therefore, intended for reference rather than for assignment as a lesson. As a Apposition—DIALOGUE in PART III]

 Kalenjin not pronounced like English. The Kalenjin pronounce their language substantially as described below. 

«4.» The vowels have the following sounds: VOWELS[2] Kalenjin EXAMPLES 

ā as in father e.g.  pāt, māt, ărāp 

ă as in fate´, hate, e.g. ămache, , ă-nendet 

ē as in they, tētă, mētă 

ĕ as in benefit, tĕch, pĕk´-tēs 

 ī as in ravine, sir´-chī, twaī 

ĭ as in hit sĭ´-tĭs, bĭk´-bīy 

ō as in holy Rō´-twa, ō´-kwek 

ŏ as in not, kŏt´-, bŏ´-iyō 

ū as in flute, or as oo in boot ū´-mŏch, tū´-iyōt 

ŭ as in bull, or as oo in foot kŭt,  rŭt 

There is a dull vowel sound (i) at the commencement of a few words like the Russian h, or the unaccentuated i in some English words, e.g. Charity,  Examples : illo, six ; ipche, to divide; imrok, to cross a road. 

NOTE. It is to be observed that there is a decided difference in sound, except in the case of a, between the long and the short vowels. It is not merely a matter of quantity but also of quality. 

[Footnote 2: Long vowels are marked ¯, short ones ˘.]  

«5.» In «diphthongs» (two-vowel sounds) both vowels are heard in a single syllable. 

DIPHTHONGS KALENJIN EXAMPLES 

«ae» as ai in aisle twai´, pai 

«aa»  is used to express a prolonged short a not amounting to aa, or a contracted aa.

 «au» as ou in out , au´, tau - represents the English aw in paw 

«ei» as ei in eight  mwei -These two letters are usually pronounced separately, but theyare sometimes slurred over and are scarcely distinguishable from ei ineight or ey in they. 

Whenever ai or oi are not pronounced as diphthongs, the i is marked by a diaeresis, thus ai. 

  «eu» as ĕ´o͝o (a short e followed by a short u inone syllable) eut 

  Ee is used to express a prolonged short e not amounting to ee 

  «ui» like o͝o´ĭ (a short u followed by a short i in one syllable. Cf. English we) ruiyot 

 NOTE. Give all the vowels and diphthongs their proper sounds and do not slur over them in unaccented syllables, as is done in English. 

«6.» Consonants» are pronounced as in English, except that there is no b,f,j,p,q,v,x and no z. 

  In combinations of consonants give each its distinct sound. Doubled consonants should be pronounced with a slight pause between the two sounds. Thus pronounce tt as in rat-trap, not as in rattle; pp as in hop-pole, not as in upper. Examples.

The P and B consonants. These two sounds are paired together because they take the same mouth position. Both are pronounced similar to the english letter p in pie/bye. P is used to represent this letter in this publication. 

B  almost always occurs after m to form "Mb' like in Limb, Mb. This sound is similar to mb in the English word remember. 

D  almost always occurs after n to form "Nd' like in find 

Kas in English. 

G is hard as in the English word go.

 H is not used as a separate letter. 

 J nearly resembles the English j.

Ch as in church. 

Sh, I, M, N as in English. 

Ng has two separate sounds, the one hard as in the English wordfinger, the other as in singer. The latter sound is written ng'. 

Ny. This sound is similar to ni in the English word minion. 

P as in English. This letter is often exchangeable with v. 

Ph is a p followed by an h. 

R is always well pronounced or rolled on the tongue. 

S, T, W  as in English.

Y is a consonant, as in yard. 

Z as in English. 

Consonants are only doubled when there is a distinct repetition of a single sound. 

«6.» SYLLABLES 

 A Keiyo word has as many syllables as it has vowels and diphthongs. Thus «testai» has two syllables, «Poipoiyet» has three. 

 EXERCISE 

Divide the words in the following passage into syllables and pronounce them.

 Ipwaat kogeny Yaindeng'ung' eng' peetuusyegap ming'inateng'ung', kotom koit peetuusyek che yaach ak koriik kenyiisyek che imwae ile,Ma paipaitune chuuto,"

Amdoindet 12:1  

  [ [Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, I find no pleasure in them

Ecclesiastes 12:1]] 

  «7.» CHANGES OF LETTERS.

A and O are frequently interchangeable ; e. g. ang ? or ong ?, what sort of ?; ak or ok, andA usually changes to O in the formation of the plural: 

Kararan, pi. kororon, good 

Pananet, pi. pononik, the poor person. 

When a is the vowel of the verbal root, it generally becomes o in the present tense. Thus : 

Itany, to forge; a'tonyi - I forge. 

Wal, to alter; awolei - I alter. 

0 is also sometimes used for a as the personal prefix in the first person singular: 

Ai, to do; Ooie, I do. 

Iiny, to squeeze; O'inyi, I squeeze. 

E sometimes changes to I in the formation of the plural of adjectives: 

Wesis, pi. wisisin-gentle.

Sames, pi. somis - rotten. 

When a substantive commences with I, that letter is at times not pronounced in conversation; e. g.  'Ngotiot for Ingotiot, the giraffe.

Verbs commencing with I frequently drop that letter. It will be sufficient to give here one or two examples : 

iput, to drop; 

a'puti, I drop (it); 

o'puti, you drop (it); 

ki'put, he or she has dropped (it). 

 K, T, and CH change to G, D, and J respectively after n, ng, or ny. Examples: 

Kaa'unegei {for kaa'unekei), I have bathed 

Aundoii (for auntoii), I am letting (him) go. 

Sesenju (for sesenchu), these dogs. 

Ang dulwo (for ang tulwo) ? What sort of a mountain,

Ang jorua (for ang chorua) ? What sort of a friend?

Kaaunyge (for kaaunyke), I have hidden myself. 

Tany dui (for tany tui), black ox. 

Kwanyji (for kwanychi), they approach it. 

T becomes D after M and L and S becomes Z after n: 

Sirimdo (for sirimto), the chain. 

A'waldosi (for a'waltosi), I sell  

Iunze (for iunse), to wash. 

T becomes N and other changes of spelling occur when a singular substantive joined to the article is followed by a demonstrative or possessive pronoun.  

   In conversation, the t of the singular article is often slurred over or changed to n if the word which follows commences with n. If, however, the speaker is not understood, and the sentence has to be repeated, care is taken to pronounce the t; e. g. 

Sesen neoo for seset neoo - the big dog. 

   When CH is the terminal letter of simple verbs, it changes to K in the formation of derivatives : ' The only exception to this rule appears to be the word olto, the place. 

Tuch, to cover; tuku, to cover hither. 

Iwech, to return (act.); wekte, to return (neut.). 

Iroch, to dip; irokte, to dip thither. 

Ch changes to Y after T: Metyi (for metchi), to throw at. lo or yo change to cho after p:  Mopcho (for mopio or mopyo), sugar cane.  

The p of the masculine and feminine prefixes, kip and chep, becomes m before n, ng, or ny : 

Kimnaria, a bull with white marks round its eyes. Chemnaria, a cow with white marks round its eyes. 

Kimngosos, a shy bull. Chemngosos, a shy cow. 

Kimnyokorio, a cowardly man. Chemnyokorio, a cowardly woman. 

P~ usually changes to N when followed by m : 

Kond'ammoita (for kond'apmoita), the calfs eye.

But when the masculine and feminine prefixes are followed by m the p is omitted : 

Kimakong, a one eyed bull. Chemakong, a one eyed cow. 

   The p of the masculine and feminine prefixes is also omitted when followed by another p: ' Kiporus, a grey bull. Cheporus, a grey cow. 

   The p of the feminine prefix is omitted when followed by a word beginning with sa or so. When followed by a word commencing wither, the ep of the feminine prefix falls out: 

Chesamo, a dapple grey cow. 

Chesoleyua, colour.

But Chepseta, a cow with a crumpled horn. 

Kipsamo, a dapple grey bull. 

Cheringis, lizard. 

Cherengen, locust.(Bui Kiperengen, a cloud of locusts.) 

 K sometimes changes to NG when followed by m or n: 

Chept'