Giving Directions in Kikuyu - Kwîranîra njîra na Gîkûyû

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How to give directions in Kikuyu - Ûrîa Mû-Gîkûyû eragîra mûndû ûngî njîra 


The Kikuyu language had two distinctive directions.
  1. Irathîro - East
  2. Ithûîro - West


  • The directions of East and West

Irathîro

Irathîro is East direction (Kûratha is to shoot)
From where the sun shoots - sun rise
Example, Rora irathîro - face east or head east.


Ithûîro

Ithûîro is West direction
Where the sun sets.
Rûgûrû is a synonym for West
Example, Rora ithûîro kana rûgûrû - face west or head west.

  • The language did not have North and South.

Kikuyu language did not have the directions of North and South but does not mean they only depended on East and West. The language had other directions which were dependent on the elevation of where one is standing and the direction the rivers are flowing.


  1. Rûgongo
  2. Kîanda
  3. Itherero


Rûgongo

Rûgongo - The side with an elevation, the upper side. Side with higher altitude, the upper side.

Example, Thiî rûgongo - Go to the upper side, climb the elevation.

Kîanda

Kîanda - The lower side, further down, the side with lower altitude, downward side.
Example, ikûrûka kîanda - Move to the down side.

Itherero

Itherero - The direction the rivers flows
Example, Thiî itherero - Head the direction the river flows.


The language went further to distinguish the sides from the perspective of left side, right side, front and behind.

  1. Ûrîo - Right hand side
  2. Ûmotho - Left hand side
  3. Mbere - Front side
  4. Thutha - Behind

Ûrîo

Mwena wa ûrîo - Right hand side
Example, Thiî mwena wa ûrîo - Move to the direction of the right hand side

Ûmotho

Mwena wa ûmotho - Left hand side
Example, Thiî mwena wa ûmotho - Move to the direction of the left hand side

Mbere

Mbere - Infront - The from side
Example, ikara mbere - Stay infront or Move to the front direction

Thutha

Thutha - Behind.
Example, ikara thutha - Stay behind.




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