Meru is a
Bantu language spoken by the
Meru people (''Ameru'') who live on the Eastern and Northern slopes of
Mount Kenya and on the Nyambene ranges. They settled in this area after centuries of
migration
Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration
* Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another
** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
from the north.
The Meru people are a fairly homogeneous community and all share a common
ancestry. They speak the same language, ''Kimeru'', but there are some slight regional differences, in accent and local words. The community comprises the following subdivisions, from the north to south:
*Igembe
*Tigania (Tiania) (
culture
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...
close to neighbouring
Cushitic
The Cushitic languages are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are spoken primarily in the Horn of Africa, with minorities speaking Cushitic languages to the north in Egypt and the Sudan, and to the south in Kenya and Tanzania. As o ...
and
Nilotic
The Nilotic peoples are people indigenous to the Nile Valley who speak Nilotic languages. They inhabit South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. Among these are the Burun-sp ...
communities)
*Imenti
*Tharaka (Saraka)
*Igoji
*Mwimbi–Muthambi
*Chuka (Gicuka) (marginal intelligibility with Meru proper and with
Gikuyu.
As the Meru language is similar to its surrounding neighbors, the Kikuyu language, Kikuyu and Embu language, Embu could have possibly adopted parts of Meru.
Sample phrases
Dialects
Kimeru has seven main mutually intelligible dialects. The dialects include kiimenti widely used by the Imenti section of the Ameru, Tiania/gitiania used by the tigania, kiigembe used by the Igembe, kimwimbi and Muthambi used by the Igoji and Chogoria, Gicuka used by the Chuka and Kitharaka used by the Tharaka.
Imenti dialect
It is the commonly used dialect in Meru. The dialect acts as the lingua franca between all the nine subtribes of Meru. It is the official dialect used in the Kimeru Bible translations. It is commonly used in Nkubu, Timau, Kibirichia, Meru town and Ruiri areas of Meru County.
Sample phrases
The Chuka, Muthambi and Mwimbi dialects
The dialects are more related to Gikuyu and Meru proper, and are common in Igoji, Chogoria and Chuka regions of Meru County and Tharaka Nithi County.
Sample phrases
Tigania and Igembe dialects
The dialects are mostly spoken in Miraa or Khat growing areas of Muthara, Karama, Kangeta, Maua, Laare and Mutuati in Meru County.
Sample phrases
Tharaka dialect
The dialect is more closely related to the Kamba and Tigania dialects. It is most common in Tharaka areas of Tharaka Nithi County.
Sample phrases
Alphabet
Kimeru is written in a Latin alphabet. I
does not use the letters ''f p q s v x z'', and adds the letters ''ĩ'' and ''ũ'' The Kimeru alphabet is:
:a b c d e g h i ĩ j k m n o r t u ũ w y''
In Media and Popular Culture
A Kenyan musical group known as High Pitch Band Afrika based in Meru County has done a cover of the Luis Fonsi's popular hit single Despacito in Kimeru language. The Kimeru cover was uploaded on YouTube on July 10, 2017, and has generated over 500,000 views since then.
In Media the Kimeru language is used as the primary broadcast language of several Radio and TV stations in Kenya. Some include: Meru Fm, Muuga Fm, Weru Fm, Weru TV, Baite TV, Thiiri Fm among many others.
References
External links
Meru dictionaryPanAfrican L10n page on Meru
Meru,
Northeast Bantu languages
Languages of Kenya
{{Bantu-lang-stub