Mothertongue

General
1

As this generation keeps going on and on naona traditional languages zikibaki the preserves of those in the countryside. We are raising up kids who can’t speak their mother tongues. I have met hundreds of people who have no knowledge of their vernacular languages. Staying in the urban areas has also promoted this. In urban areas the languages of communication are Kiswahili, English (for those who live in affluent neighbourhoods) and sheng for those who leave in eastlands. Its so bad that someone can’t even speak fluent Swahili. Intermarriages pia zimechangia. Urban kids wakirudi ocha they can’t get along with those who are there since there will be a language barrier.

For me I can speak Kisii and Meru but i dont see my kids speaking any language except the recognizes one’s only Eng and Swahili. Occupations and work lead to this. Naming kids is something that will be left to my wife and i guess she will name our kids using some modern American names. Luckily for them no one will ever know where they come from since the location details in my ID are registered as places in Nairobi my district of birth and place of issue being Nairobi.

Tough times ahead.

2

Hata Latin died but still lives on in English, science, art, religion and romance languages. Evolution of languages is inevitable.

3
4

Kikisii yako ni fluent?

5

Yes. Omogambi nabo ngokwana ekegusii kionzi buya.

6

It’s not a bad thing when it comes to breaking down tribalism. The world languages evolve and some will disappear,that’s normal. To be honest I’m caught in between, maybe owing to the fact that I’ve seen how other countries operate.
Example India, so many languages and they’ve done their best to preserve most languages. The result is ,south Indians can’t speak Hindi, imagine meeting an Indian who can’t speak his own national language! Buffles me .
Anyways there’s more benefit it losing the tribal languages than keeping them somehow if you ask me .

7

English and Kiswahili are mandatory for someone schooled here. Bila kujua hizo, you make your job prospects are very low.

8

Kijana yangu ataongea kiluya Kwanza before aanze kisapere… British English lazima… kiswahili will come automatically nikisha hamisha hao to county 001

9

Abu mbuya…assuming your family is multicultural, do your kids a favour and teach em both.

10

Once a language is written it will be impossible to kill it completely. Lakini some tribes like the Bajuni who number less than 100,000 will likely be disappearing first

11

There is an effort to preserve them through the new curriculum by having language activities in early years education

12

my family aint multicultural. It happened that my mum got transferred to work in kisii and by then i was like 6 months old. we stayed in kisii till i was 4 ndo tukarudi nairobi. meru nilijua juu my parents are both merians. iyo time ya kuwafunza ndo itakuwa ngumu kupatikana

13

i doubt if it will achieve what it’s intended to

14

Aren’t the two languages almost the same.

15

they are far apart. maybe Meru and Kikuyu

16

Mimi as long napata kasamthing language is not a barrier. I learnt alittle Somali when I was working in Eastleigh

17

Aye imbosa, orosao rwa malaria.

Bono ninki otagete tokore? Torere? Tagotochanda!

18

Amabiaya nkiekio ogochegera nande? Isaransa gochi aria moino ari nkokorangeri tore ekebuta kia abagaka…

@Etigere howdy oyonka? How are you keeping?

19

Niaje Terrible Waste?

20

They are not. It is easier for a Maragoli to learn Ekegusii from what I have heard.