Naandi language
Nandi, also known as Cemual, is a Kalenjin language spoken in the highlands of western Kenya, in the districts of Nandi, Uasin Gishu and Trans-Nzoia.
Classification
Nandi is the language spoken by the Nandi, who are part of the Kalenjin people. These languages and dialects, classified with the Datooga language and the Omotik language, form the Southern Nilotic languages sub-group of the Nilotic languages.Phonology
The tables below present the vowels and consonants of Nandi.Vowels
Nandi differentiates its vowels according to their place of articulation. They are either pronounced with the root of the tongue advanced, or with the root of the tongue retracted.Tone
Nandi is a tonal language.Oral literature
In 1909, A.C. Hollis and Charles Eliot published The Nandi: Their Language and Folklore, which contains a selection of folktales, proverbs, and riddles in Nandi with English translations. Here are some of the proverbs:- "Ii-e ngetuny lel." "The lion bears a hyena."
- "Inga-i ngom, i-ker-i-ke kumut-i?" "However clever you may be, can you see the back of your neck?"
- "Iok-toi kiplengoi pelio." "Send hares to the elephant."
- "Iput-i tany aku pa-kelek angwan." "The ox falls in spite of its four legs."
- "Apuk ma-pa. Kina-ap-teta." "It pours out; it does not go. A cow's udder."
- "A-tinye cheptan-nyo ne-piiy-onyi mutai ko-rukut lakat. Kweyot." "I have a daughter who gets a good meal every morning, but she goes to bed hungry at night. A broom."
- "I-ie tururik annan i-ie che-tililin." "Do you prefer water made dirty or clean water? I prefer the dirty water."