that’s what kikuyu folklore says but anthropologically, kikuyu are a sub-tribe of Kamba…Kikuyu, Kamba, Embu,Meru was one group at one time … in fact kikuyu didnt exist prior 1400AD
Kabete is not pronounced with an F it is a soft B a cross between Band V, that F probably came with the mzungu.
The names Kabete and Kiambu are interchangeable just like Rware and Nyeri.
Fake gikuyu detected!
You’re confusing the MB with the B,
Mbete and Bata have two different pronunciations , the second has what is in linguistics is called a soft B which is a cross between B and V
Gikuyu is a bantu language which basically follows bantu pronounciations Baba in swahili remains Baba in gikuyu just that the b is less pronounced!
Do your reading, any true mugikuyu would know that.
You could also check the original Gikuyu dictionary, or read “Facing Mt Kenya”, “My People of the Kikuyu” and “The Southern kikuyu” to educate yourself.
That F thing is some new fangled thing that probably came with the arrival of the mzungu.
You are the fake in this case.
Kikuyu has no v both in pronunciation and spelling not unless you are from kirinyaga or embu. Gîkîrînyaga is heavily influenced by kiembu. Fyi kikuyu has no sound mb, nd, nj, etc. Eg Mboco(beans) is pronounced boco. Watu wa kiambu na nairobi husema mbosho which is wrong since kikiyu has no s and sh but only c which is pronounced as s. Watu wa nyeri wako na chida ya matamchi na ndio unapata c inakuwa replaced na ch. nd in ndûng’û is pronounced dûng’û. Same for nj. And it’s the reason you find hizo sound zinachanganya wakikuyu wa ocha sana.
Mbete (pronun. bete) = ring Bata (pronun. Fata) = need or haja. Mbata (pronun. Bata) = goose
Dear pseudo Gikuyu, did you bother to consult a dictionary? why don’t you invest on a few books then you can come back and pretend to understand linguistics?
Small correction though mbata and mbete has a soft m before the b
No self respecting mugikuyu uses the F but Id also ask that you listen to nyeri which has the oldest form of the language and you will not find that F sound.
Now if you read any of the older books in kikuyu or listen to old music, you will note that the B was a soft B as in Baba.
Gikuyu is a bantu language where words are shared with a few variations due to localised pronunciations.
Now, think. . . . think, which other bantu language uses F in thethe word Baba???
But then below I have a master gikuyu speaker you cant argue with the legendary Joseph Kamaru:D:D:D
Note the Mbeca and Bata:D:D:D:D
So in short they spell it the way Kambas pronounce the same words which have the same meanings just have a slightly different pronunciation… the core issue here is the linguistic mzungu who defined the spelling was too lazy to account for that difference
Buganda has a few examples e.g Kibuli (one of the Kampala subdistricts/hills) is actually pronounced like Chivuli by the locals, this goes to show that pronunciation there is no standard pronunciation even with the Bantu subgroups , mainly because the people who defined some of the spellings were probably not native speakers , but I guess this is better than what French and English (sometimes) does , e.g Cholmondeley is pronounced as Chomley
You missed the point by a mile, my question was on the F, however I thought I closed the thread with Kamaru or would you want to argue with his knowledge of the Gikuyu language? :D:D:D
but Id also ask that you listen to nyeri which has the oldest form of the language and you will not find that F sound.