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A GRAMMAR OF DIALECTIC CHANGES

THE

IN

KISWAHILI LANGUAGE

by

CAPTAIN

C.

Interpreter in Swahili and

H.

STIGAND

Author of The Land of Zinj

To Abyssinia through an unknown Land,

etc.,

etc.

with an Introduction and a

Recension and Poetical Translation of the

Poem

INKISHAFI^ a Swahili Speculum Mundi^ by

the

Rev.

W.

E.

TAYLOR, M.A.

imbridge
at the

University Press
1915

Cambtttoge :

PRINTED BY JOHN CLAY, M.A.

'

AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS

PREFACE
LANGUAGE

**-

character

so

little

written

Swahili

as

is

unstable

in

and forms rapidly pass

as changes occur old words

out of use.

The

isolation of different Swahili

the past
dialects.

made

communities and sultanates in

a situation favourable to the growth of numerous

Modem

transport facilities and the sinking of old feuds

have caused a reversal of these conditions and now the newer

dialect of Zanzibar

The reader

is

is

rapidly supplanting the older ones.

presumed

to be familiar with the dialect of Zanzi-

and others are compared with

bar,

Although the records

this.

are in most cases very imperfect, they have the value of bringing to
notice

many words and forms which have

not yet been elucidated

and which might otherwise have passed into

I

am much

indebted to

Mr Taylor

for

oblivion.

undertaking some revision

Appendix and also for the addition of

another version of the same in the Mombasa dialect, as well as for
of the old poetry in the

the translation of the piece.

C.

KAJOKAJI, SUDAN, 1915

H.

S.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
who

Author,
THE
the
Africa
in

already well known from his works on East

capacities of Soldier and Administrator, Traveller
is

and Hunter of Big Game, Explorer and Ethnologist, has kindly asked
me to preface this Treatise with a few remarks of my own, and I
have gladly acceded to his request, because here he throws himself
into a branch of research in which he is not perhaps quite so well
known, but is no less worthy of attention, that of the original and
enterprising Student of Language.
To style this work the most elaborate on the Swahili Dialects

which has yet appeared is not to give it more than its due. Indeed
it comes as the first Monograph published upon the subject, so far
as I am aware, whether in English or in any other language, though
notes on these matters may be found in the extant handbooks and
dictionaries, as for instance in the Preface to Steere's Tales, in

my own

African Aphorisms (S.P.C.K.), etc., and again in a tabulated form in

a contribution to the (Mombasa) Swahili Grammar of Mrs Burt
(S.P.C.K.), by reference to which works and to Krapf s Dictionary

made here about Mombasa may be adjusted. It is

therefore important to note that the point of view of the present
work is taken as from the more Northern centre (Laniu), for which

the statements

the Author speaks authoritatively. And no doubt the methods,

and detail, of the book, which involve certain new

conclusions,

departures, will be subjected to the critical tests of examination

in the field at the hands of those capable of judging in such

and use

matters, and will even be found to require a certain amount of

modification. This "give and take" however is essential to progress,
this Manual a delightful task is provided
of East African scholars, to whom the Essay
will be most precious ; for the Lamu class of Dialects indeed we
have no other English guide.

and in the appearance of

for the

new generation

INTRODUCTION

IX

of my own view of the language considered as a

would say that the conclusion which much careful consideration has brought me to is, that in the Mvita or Mombasa

may speak

If I

whole,

dialect one finds

"

what may be classed

as the truly Central Swahili.

genius of the Mombasa dialect

eschews the blemishes and excrescences which are to be found in
Central,"

because while

the

the too patent crudities, ambiguities, and corruptions

of the careless South, and the needless complications and ironbound
archaisms of the too conservative Islanders of the North the

the others

Mombasa
all their

speech, in its purity, displays

and

cultivates to the full

respective excellences.

The Mombasa

is

accordingly a dialect which

proved in a moderately long,

I,

and wide, experience,

for one,

to be

"

have

valable

"

throughout the length and breadth of all that is really "Swahili."

As for the Gunyas of the extreme North, say Barawa, I know that
their

uncouth jargon

is

so different a tongue as to be further or at

Giryama or Pokomo from the Swahili ;

least as far off as is say

while the Ngazija of the Comoro Islands is, experto crede, though
running on similar lines yet also a different language.
It will

be interesting to note the reason for the facts I have

Mombasa a little philology will be useful in illustra-

alleged about

Mvita, its native name, is itself I doubt not derived from

"
the root vi (otherwise zi), meaning a sinking in," with the root TA
"
It signifies, then, The Curtained Headpoint."
(otherwise CHA),
tion.

land, thus depicting with a single touch the outstanding geographical

Now this name Mvita, from the
feature of this "hidden Isle."

has become the subject of a sad play

!"
"war"
as we are told say the natives.
is
Vita
"It
upon words,
Now Vita is manifestly derived from the root TA ("cerebral" T

restless history of the place,

"
which stands in contrast to the T above) and means thrust forth,"
"
throw out," as of a warlike expedition and in war, and warlike
;

expeditions, either civil or external, you have in a nutshell all the

olden history of the turbulent little territory as far back as it can be
traced, at least under

Arab

rule.

How easy

then

is it

to see that while

"

"
on the one hand the advantages of its sunken position would give
it a speech which is both insular for purity and continental for

and while its geographical situation, lying in the midst

between the South and the North sections of the Swahili coasts,
would secure a balance between the respective branches of the

catholicity,

Languages

the sterner stuff of the Mombasians of old, born and

INTRODUCTION

bred as they were amid the clang of arms, must have reacted favourably to produce the virile, "puritanic," genius of their Dialect. And
a fact remarked by the Natives themselves that while the Dialect
of Lamu and its congeners, which are so interestingly discussed in

it is

this Book, are affected

by the Swahilis at

large as affording a

mine

and a mould for the forms and expressions of most Swahili Poetry,
and while the Zanzibar group to the South has furnished a lingua
the Mombasian or Kimvita is
franca and a terminology for Trade,
the Dialect considered of all others the best fitted for accurate

statement and grave discussion

the Swahili for Prose, par excellence.

"

"

prose to signify all sustained speech, such as one finds

in native stories and tales, whether in MS. or spoken, as well as in

One

uses

the somewhat rare MS. treatises of different kinds.

Also

it

must be

admitted that good Mrima shares with the Mombasian somewhat in

this excellence, doubtless from the fact that formerly there was
frequent intermarriage between the two strains, as well as from the
existence to some extent in the Mrima of the same disposing causes.

However, though no doubt there is good and bad literature or speech in

every dialect here examined and some of the Mombasian examples
are not of the former yet the above may be relied upon as a candid
Native appreciation of their respective merits.
"
not surprising to find that
Kisiwani," the Isle

Accordingly
KO.T

it is

efrxnv, retains

men possessed of usemi na utakaand

of
profound intellect, as well as a
eloquence
malifu wa akili,
to
of
lore
school of the
Islam,
quote the old Lament

a memory of great Authorities,

And

"just Judges who judgment could shew

Law all concur in their view,
dealing with moot points aye settled them true

the learn'd in the

Who

Ne'er lay appeal from what they pronounced fair

"

all this, no doubt, in a more or less unbroken succession

the
centuries, from the far-off days of Shehe Mvita, the City's
along
boasted hero and founder of its Mohammedan fame, and onwards
under its once famous Queens, such as Mwana Kambaya, the

And

vestiges

of whose

in
palace Bishop Tucker sketched

1906,

or

Milton's
" the less maritime
kings,

Mombaza, and

Quiloa,

and Melind,"

then the Mazru'is, and so on to the present day, for there are
a few scattered representatives extant even now of these pristine

INTRODUCTION

XI

Worthies, to say nothing of the happier days that were before

them, when the Christians of St Thomas worshipped in numerous
Churches, of which the ruins laid low by the Portuguese remain to

Thankful am I that this Dialect

happily once more restored to its ancient glory as a vehicle for
the Praises of God.
Certainly, but for the Gospel message and
attest the truth of the tradition.
is

the stimulus which

its

proclamation has given, here in E. Africa

and throughout the wide world (its Field), to the study of

languages, the present work would never have been written.

In conclusion

To the Ancient Poem

selected

by the Author to

serve as a specimen of the Kingozi I have been permitted through

the hospitality of the University Press, at the instance of Captain
Stigand, to add my own Recension of the same Poem, made many

years ago, since

it

was

version, differing in so

felt

that the possession of this more Southern

details from the Northern,

many important

scholars better to judge as to what was probably the

form of this important Classic. The Translation and I
believe that it presents the first poetical version published in our
tongue of anything African ever written south of the Equator is
will enable

original

also offered as an attempt to convey accurately the general sense,

and bearing, and spirit, and mutatis mutandis the form also of
a piece of literature which has been certainly held in reverence for

centuries past as a great, if not the greatest, religious Classic of

But with these matters I have dealt more at length
the race.
in the proper place.

W.
KYRK, 1915.

E. T.

ABBREVIATIONS
(Also see p. 80.)

= Arabic.
= derivation,
Eng. = English.
Kiam. = Kiarau.
Kimg. = Kirngao.
Kimr. = Kimrima.
Kimv. = Kimvita.

Ar.

Der.

= Kipate.
= Kitikuu.
=
Kiuug. Kiunguja.
= literally.
Lit.
= plural.
PL
= singular.
Sing.
Kip.

derived from.

Kit.

A SHORT TREATISE ON

DIALECTIC DIFFERENCES OF KISWAHILI

THE

langiifl.gp.

refcrrpd to

purer dialects of the

as..

Lamu

lJLcabs,,mtk .Bantu
The

among

Kiswahilj (or Kisawaheli in the

Archipelago) is^j
,

laces.

greater proportion of the language is of Bantu origin, but )

the more educated the proportion of words derived from S

Arabic would perhaps amount to a quarter of the language. In

addition to this there is a good sprinkling of Portuguese, Hindustani

and Somali or Gala words.

r
Js iswftbilj,...as jt&- name- -indicates,

and as such

is

whole of the East African sea-board.

practical uses liowever extend

This language is to Africa

Europe.
Africa,

German

language of the coast

on the Swahili

really only indigenous to the towns

coast, viz. practically the

It is

-is ..the

much farther than this.

now much what French used

JjtSL,

to be to

the court language, so to speak, of British East

East Africa, Nyasaland, and Portuguese East Africa.

Uganda and far info the Congo.

understood on the coasts of Somaliland and Arabia and

It also penetrates
It is

holds sway as a trading and nautical language to a certain extent

Malay Peninsula.

as far as the

This widely spoken language

and

is

divided into numerous dialects

sub-dialects.

Where

considerable intercourse exists between

members

of two

owing to modern improvements in communications, these

dialects have naturally a tendency to merge together.
Such is the state of things between Mombasa, Zanzibar and the
dialects,

Mrima.

The

great bulk of the inhabitants of Mombasa, at the present

a language which is neither pure Mombasa nor pure
talk
day,
Zanzibar.

PRINCIPAL DIALECTS ENUMERATED

2
It

would appear from old accounts, however, that the language

of the former city used to be a very pure dialect.

The great influx of natives from the interior cannot
its

mark on the language

fail

to leave

of the vulgar.

In course of time this present language of the vulgar will very

possibly become the so-called pure language.
In places where there is little intercourse held with the outside

world or between members of different dialects, as in the Lamu

Archipelago, dialects not only remain purer but tend to differentiate
still

further.

Here we have many little islands and towns, each very conservative in its dialect and very punctilious in the observation of
little dialectic differences.

So

it is

here that pure dialects can be found and moreover

it is

here that the birth of the Swahili language is said to have taken
It would be more fitting therefore to commence with these
place.
dialects

and then proceed to the

less pure.

the language of Zanzibar and that of the Mrima

However,
that are the better known and it is these which have been chiefly
expounded and supplied with a certain amount of literature. Thereit is

assume that the reader is acquainted with one of

and endeavour to lead up to the less known
out the chief dialectic differences.
and
pointing
by simple steps
A knowledge of these dialectic differences will permit of many
words being easily converted from one dialect into another by simple
changes of letters and forms.

fore it is best to

these latter dialects

On

account of

many apparent

exceptions to rules

it is

not so

when a

certain change will take place.

It is, however, very easy to recognise the new word when a change
has taken place, once the rules are known, and so words, strange at

easy to foretell

first sight,

The
1.

2.
3.

often

become at once

chief Swahili Dialects spoken on this coast are

Kiunguja

Kimrima
Kimgao

These three

}
V

Zanzibar group.

have bracketed together into one group as they

possess considerable similarity.

For convenience in reference

group.

intelligible.

I shall call this

group the Zanzibar

PRINCIPAL DIALECTS ENUMERATED

There are a number of small sub-dialects and local variations of

the above

the chief of these are

Kihadimu and Kitumbatu

Kipemba

4.
5.

Sub-dialects of Zanzibar

group.

Distinguished from the Zanzibar group by slight differences in

some grammatical formations

is

Kimvita,

6.

with a sub-dialect

Kiviunba.

7.

The next two

dialects

might be grouped together into one group

them

as the differences are but slight between

8.

Kiamu

9.

Kipate}

The

Amu

enumerated
10.

group has several

local variations of

which two

will

be

Kishela.
Kisiu.

Very

different

lary

Amugroup

11.

is

from

all

the above, both in

grammar and vocabu-

12.

Kitikuu.
This with a number of local dialects, such as those spoken
Tundwa, Kiunga and other places on the coast N.

at Rasini,
of

Amu, might be

Farther afield but

13.

The

14.

Kingazija.

still

referred to as the

This
dialects

dialects of the Banadir coast.

Lastly comes the parent of

15.

Bajun group.

related to Swahili are

all

these dialects

Kingovi.
is by no means, however, an exhaustive
which occur on this coast.

list

of all the lesser

In addition to the true dialects there are several fanciful and

useless forms

made up by

few words on two

changing, dropping or adding syllables.

will suffice, viz.

Kinyume.
Kialabi.

12

CERTAIN SWAHILI LETTERS

Before dealing with the differences existing between these

touch on certain letters as
it would be as well to

dialects

pronounced by the Swahili.

An

exact understanding of some of

these will facilitate the transposition of certain words into other

dialects.

Certain Swahili Letters

appears that there are no less than five different t's in

use in pure Swahili and clearly distinguishable from each

T.

It

common

other to the educated Swahili ear.

The reader

will of course get their correct

sounds best from a

native.

multiplication of different letters is not approved of by most

authorities on the language who aim at the simplification of writing.

However, in a book which has in view a comparison of dialects

one has thought it necessary to make distinctions not usually
needed.

The

different t's in

pure Swahili are

(i)

The Arabic

(tamaruf) called in Swahili,

Tamarufa.

This letter has a sound like a strong T followed by a susor sometimes rw.
To get the correct pronunciation
picion of a

make

a swahili-educated Swahili from the coast say these words

close to your ear
:

KhaTari = danger
KaraTasi = paper

KhaTi

= sultan
= allegiance
= letter

KhuTubu = reading

KhaTua

KhaTibu = a

SulTan
Taa'

pace

step,

= necessary
KhaTamu = bridle

SharuTi

When

N.B.
the letter

This

is

nearly always be found that the t

and not the other Arabic

is

O.

O called tay, or te safi in Swahili.

tip

of

made by nearly closing the teeth

the tongue against the edges of the

teeth.

This

symbol

preacher

to obey.

a clear dental t

and putting the

upper

will

it

above,

The Arabic

(ii)

Koran

a t occurs in an Arabic word which also contains

(kh)

tamamf, shown

Ku-Tii

of the

t
t.

have,

for

dialectic

reasons,

distinguished

by the

CERTAIN SWAHILI LETTERS

who does not

and make him say close

To obtain the pronunciation get a pure

speak one of the Zanzibar group of dialects,
to your ear

Swahili,

Ku-tawala = to reign
= to want
Ku-taka
Ku-tukua = to carry, take
Tutatunga = we will herd (cattle)
= toddle
Tatetate
= to rub
Ku-tua
= lamp
Taa
= pillow.
Mto

= Mombasa
Ku-fita = to hide
Mtanga = sand
Tarikhi = date
Wakati = time, period
Patapata = twins

Mvita

= to leave
Ku-pata = to weave
Ku-ata

This t
It

is

is shown by Taylor in italics.

important in the transposition of Kimvita words into

Kiunguja.

The Bantu cerebral t. This and the next two are called
(iii)
by the Swahilis te pindu or the overturned t, in distinction to
the pure

t.

Examples,

Ku-pata
Ku-pita

Ku-kata

Tumeteta
Tumbiri
Ku-tua
Ku-vuta

=
=

to get
to pass, to pass (or

come)

to

(sail)

draw (towards one from a distance

occasionally)

come towards

Ku-fuata

to follow

Mto

a river

to

make a guest

one,

and

Aspirated dental t. Shown here by

= a louse
T'awa

(iv)

T'embe
T'ewa

in

= to cut
- we have quarrelled
= the red bud of a banana tree
= to put down (a load), let down

so,

hence

or stranger

to invite

t'.

= leavings after sifting rice

= a certain spotted fish

= a small perch-like fish

= a mistake, fault
T'akwambia=: I will tell you (abb. form)
T'aa
T'ua
Nt'i

= country

Nt'a

= point, end
= to snap the

Ku-t'etea

fingers, to lose one's bearings in

house at night on suddenly rising out of bed.

CERTAIN SWAHILI LETTERS

Aspirated cerebral

(v)

t.

T'embe

Shown here by

=a

t'.

grain

Ku-t'enda = to do
= dates
T'ende
T'umbiri = a monkey

Mat'ongo = eye matter

= a person
Mt'u
Kit' and a = a bed
= a strap, sling.
T'eo
There are all kinds of graduations of the t's above when
pronounced in different words and with different vowels and these
can only be learnt by ear.

D.

In pure Swahili there appear to be three d's in use.

(i)

The dental

dali

safi,

As

i.e.

or pure Arabic 3 (dal) called

by the Swahilis

the clean, or pure, dal.

this is

by

far the

most common d

have shown

as

it

Taylor shows it in italics. To pronounce this letter the

must
be placed in the same position as in pronouncing the
tongue

simple d.
dental

t.

Examples,

Dimia

the world

Ku-dirika = to meet
Ku-dodosi - to tap gently
Ku-dongoa = to pound a little (mtama, etc.)
thus pound it thoroughly

Hadimu

=a

servant

Hadithi

=a

story,

at a time

and

and every other word in which a d occurs unless that d

immediately preceded by the letter n.

is

In the Zanzibar group, however, there is practically no such thing

as a pure dental d so in those dialects this d must be pronounced
more as a cerebral d, as in English.

The

effect of

combination with the letter

influence on the pure d.

has a disturbing

CERTAIN SWAHILI LETTERS

In pure Swahili on all occasions that the combination nd

d must be pronounced in one of the two following

occurs the

ways

The semi-dental d called by the Swahilis dali pindu or

ya pindu, i.e. the overturned d.
This sound is made by raising the tongue a little higher than for
the dental d and opening the mouth a little wider.
As this letter is important for dialectic reasons I have marked
(ii)

dali

it

4
Examples,

Ndia (Kimv.)

Kandu

(Kiam.)

= a road, path
= a kanzu (garment)

Ku-kunda (Kiam.)= to
Ku-penda (Kimv.) = to

fold

love

Ku-tinda (Kimv.) = to kill

Ku-anda (Kiam.) = to begin
= a workman
Fundi (Kimv.)
= to taste
Konda (Kiam.)
Mwando (Kiam.) = beginning
= come
Ndoo (Kimv.)
= belonging to
Nda (Kiam.)
= hunger
Ndaa (Kimv.)
= outside
Nde (Kimv.)
Kitandi (Kiam.) = a loop.

The Kim vita words above

N.B.
the

Kiamu words

are

all

only used in

occur also in

Kimvita

Kiamu but

after

undergoing

dialectic changes.

The

(iii)

pindu

or re

slurred d called by
ya pindu.

Swahilis not

d but

r,

viz.

re

pronounced exactly half way between d and r.

aid to those studying Swahili in Arabic characters I have
shown it as d. The
is supposed to represent the Arabic
j and
thus convey to the mind that in transliteration an r is to be used.
This

is

As an

Example,

>

= ndugu.

Examples,

Ndani

Ndoo
Kanda

= inside
= a bucket
= a matting bag

CERTAIN SWAHILI LETTERS

= to massage
= a vessel for water
= a lobster's claw
= Adam's apple also, deep water
Kilindi
Ku-piga dondo = to iron (clothes)
= to curdle, freeze, congeal
Ku-ganda
= to teach.
Ku-fundisha

Ku-kanda

Hando
Gando

In pure Swahili no other

is

used but these three.

In the Zanzibar group however, as mentioned above, the pure

d is not used and a slurred, more cerebral d takes the place

dental
of

and

(i)

(ii).

These two
kinds when

it

and d have been touched on at length so

letters t

to distinguish between the different

may
comes to the transposition of one kind of t or d

learn

that the reader

in a dialectic change.

Certain other letters

The Arabic

may

(a' in)

after the

a'skari

Example,

letter

shown by an apostrophe

be touched on briefly.

The

and R.

letters 1

where pronounced, has been

vowel which bears

its

sound.

soldier.

and r are interchangeable

in different

dialects.

In some dialects there appears to be no clear distinction made

letters and either may be used in the same word.

between these

There is also a tendency, in less pure dialects, to insert one of

these letters between two consecutive vowels.

As we are beginning at the newer dialects and working back to

the older and purer it will appear as if these letters have been cut
out.

In reality the thicker and less pure pronunciation of the southern

dialects does not permit of certain vowels being

position

and

nyee (Kiam.) appears

nyere (Kimr.).

as

is

However Ingia (Kiam.)

but in the
Ingira.

still

pronounced in juxta-

Thus
nyele (Kiinv. and Kiung.) and sometimes

so an 1 or r

inserted to help out the sound.

is

pronounceable in Kimv. and Kiung.,

it appears as Ingila and

thicker speech of Kimg.

CERTAIN SWAHILI LETTERS

Other

letters

which are

another dialect are

when passing

interchangeable

into

ch and

v and
v

sh

sh

ch
ch

th

and y

f
z

and a few others more seldom.

K.

Of

(i)

The Arabic

k's there are three kinds.

called in Swahili

kafu nyangwe.

This

strong guttural k.

Examples,

= near
= lamp, lantern
(ku)-kafini = to cover up
= a tribe
Kabila
=
to seize, hold
(ku)-kaba
Kahawa = coffee
= a caravan
Kafila
= truth.
Hakika

Karibu

Kandili

N.B.
(ii)

All words possessing this letter are of Arabic origin.

The simple k

or Arabic

(kaf ).

Examples,

= paddle

Kafi

= oar
Kasia
= large jar
Kasiki
Ku-kataa = to refuse

Kaa

= ember

Kwake
Kwenda

= at his (home)
= to go
= and afterwards, and

Kisa
(iii)

The

aspirated form of the last,

then.

viz. k'.

Examples,

K'aa
K'asa

=a
=a

crab
turtle

K'ajek'aje = ropes for fastening

K'amba

lobster, cray fish,

sail to

prawn

foromali

'

is a

CERTAIN SWAHILI LETTERS

10

= the Indian drill

=
K'elele
a shout
K'ering'ende = a partridge
= a kernel.
K'oko
K'ek'e

In case anyone may think these distinctions in different letters

unworthy of attention, I may mention that all the distinctions I
have made represent, to the native ear, very different sounds.

thus impossible to speak correctly unless attention has

It is

been paid to them.

The following little verse, enumerating the four meanings of

the word kaa, may bring home to the reader how clear these
differences in the pronunciation of a letter appear to the native.
For in
that

this verse

k'aa (a crab)

does not sound to

it

him

is

not mentioned from the fact

in the least like kaa.

Kaa ni kaa kitako utuze wako mtima.

Kaa ni kaa la moto liwakalo na kuzima.
Kaa tena nda mnazi lendalo mbele na nyuma.
Kaa ungoja utaona mimi takapo kupata.
Translation,
"

Kaa is sit on your hunkers that you may quiet your heart.
Kaa is an ember of the fire which brightens and dies out.
Kaa again is (the stalk) of the coconut which sways to and fro.
Kaa is just wait you will see what I will do to you."
Ch and P. The letters ch and p may be aspirated or not as is
the case with

6.

by the sign

No

(ii)

and

(iii).

have distinguished the sound of

aw

as in Eng.

"

law

"

6.

is used for this sound in Swahili, as usually

shown by simple o.
To pronounce such words as Kolokolo, komba, popoo, etc. as
kolokolo, komba, popoo, is confusing and also leads them often to

appropriate sign

written, it being

pass for another word.

They are certainly unintelligible to a native
pronounced in the latter way.

Certain words derived from Arabic words with " teshdid," or the
sign of duplication, over a consonant have for long been spelt in
Swahili with the double consonant.

Other words which even in Arabic are never spelt with teshdid
have been introduced with Roman characters into Swahili with
a reduplication of some consonant.

CERTAIN SWAHILI LETTERS

To quote the commonest, Bassi, marra,

11

billa, ilia, sitta, tissa,

are usually spelt with the double consonant, although this

consonant is hardly pronounced in Arabic.
,

Such spelling is not according to the pronunciation of these

words by Swahili, or most Bantu speaking natives.
I have therefore, in regard to such words, followed Taylor's
mode of spelling, viz. with a single consonant. This is more in
accord with Swahili pronunciation and the inability of Bantu natives,
with few exceptions, to pronounce a closed syllable.

Th. There are a variety of th and dh sounds in Arabic which

Where such are pronounced or
are seldom pronounced in Swahili.
in strange words which do not occur in the dictionary I have, for
facility

of reference to Arabic dictionaries if required, used the

following signs.

Th
Th
Th

in italics

= Arabic

Dh

Putting aside these last

letter

>

,,3

Example, J%elafAa
Thikiri

,,*,,
letters,

Thalimu
Ramadhani.

which do not count

for

much

in

Swahili, the other differences in letters serve the purpose of distinguishing many words which to the unaccustomed ear sound
alike.

There

Ku-pata

is

and

no confusion in the native mind between

DIALECTIC CHANGES

12

Headings for Dialectic Changes

I.
Changes of Letters. Showing what simple transpositions,
omissions or additions of letters will serve to turn a word from one

dialect into another.

Changes of Grammar.

II.

Showing forms used

in the dialect

referred to differing from those of the preceding.

III.
Changes of Vocabulary. A few examples of different
words used in two different dialects conveying the same sense.
Many words are foui>d absolutely distinct in two separate

dialects.

In other cases there

may

be several words bearing the same

of which are understood in several dialects, but one

meaning,
dialect prefers one of these and some other dialect another.
all

all

Thus the three words, ku-chelewa, ku-kawia and ku-limatia,

"
to delay," are understood, more or less, all down the

meaning

coast.

Yet if one heard a man use ku-limatia several times during

a conversation one would probably be correct in assuming that he
came from the Lamu Archipelago.

ku-kawia to the exclusion of the other two

he was of Mombasa and if he used ku-chelewa

Similarly if he used

one might guess

that he was of the Zanzibar group and possibly an Mgao.
If he was showing off, as natives love to do, he would probably
use all three, or the two most foreign to him.

So
not

if

mean

one says that certain words are typical of a dialect it does

necessarily that they will not be heard or known in another

means that they are the favourite and most used of the
words of their meanings.
Thus one hears the word ku-keti in Zanzibar, but it is distinctly
dialect, it

Mombasa and Amu group word.

In Mombasa it is used almost to

the exclusion of

ku-kaa

in the

sense of "to live," "to remain."

In Zanzibar ku-kaa

is

used almost to the exclusion of ku-keti.

Again a word may be used

sense in one dialect

Thus

when

it is

in a different sense or in

some

special

not used in others.

of the words above, ku-chelewa, although not in use in

in the sense of "to delay" is in general use

Mombasa and

Amu

meaning "to have delayed until overtaken by something,"

viz.

sun

ZANZIBAR GROUP
and thus

or tide,

"

the tide

or

Ku-kaa

is

used for

13

"

"

being caught by
stranded by the tide."
"
"
" to
"
live
or
remain in the
although not used for
"

having oyerslept,"

left

latter places is

always used with kitako.

E.g. Ku-kaa kitako but not ku-keti kitako.

Again a word in some dialect may have a wider meaning.
"
E.g. Ku-tota (Kiamu)= to be sunk, drowned, lost at sea."

In Kimv. the same word means, in addition to the above meanings (which are seldom used) "to be saturated
commonly used.

"

in

which sense

it is

For two reasons especially great care must be exercised in determining whether a word does or does not belong to a certain dialect.
The first is the native's love of display.
native returning

from a safari
in his travels

using any words he

may have picked up

and may pronounce them wrongly or assign to them

will delight in

wrong meanings.

He

not attempt to explain their meanings but will revel in

comrades and showing what a travelled fellow he is,

will

mystifying his

nor will his comrades attempt to ask him their meanings.

I have often heard two of our Nyasaland askari, both of the same
tribe, talking to

using their

each other in very broken Swahili in preference to

own language.

Another

difficulty is that if a native talks to a

white

man who

imperfectly knows his language he will put in as many foreign words

as he can, hoping to make himself more intelligible.
It is

with exactly the same motive in view as that of the British

"
who says " Savey? to any native, be he, Indian or African,

sailor-man

Chinese or Cingalese. He thinks that

that a foreigner should understand.

it is

"

"foreign

and therefore

Neither this nor the last heading can

IV. Changes of Idiom.
be dealt with in anything but a meagre way, for the picking up of
idioms

is

a matter which requires long residence in a country.

I fear that all these headings will be treated all too

In fact

and roughly, but it is hoped that at any rate they

the reader a few ideas as to what to look out for.

briefly

may

give

Zanzibar Group.

The

grouped together under this name, in spite of the

more resemblance
to each other than any other group of dialects.
dialects

big tract of country they cover, possess almost

ZANZIBAR GROUP

14

The whole

of this group

The formation

(i)

distinguished by

is

of the

pronoun in the second

-m- (or -mw-) -ni.

objective

person plural being, in certain tenses,

This construction does not occur in the

group,

its

place being taken

Mombasa

Example,

Namfuatani =

The

the root sometimes changes to

final -a of

follow

Nimemwambieni =

Example,

you

-e.

have told you

In this group there

(pi.).
is

final -a of

a change of the

is

root in the second person plural of the Imperative into

Pendeni =

Example,

Amu

(pi.).

The corresponding construction in Kimvita, etc.

Nawafuata and nimewambia.
(ii)

or the

by -wa-.

the

-e.

love ye.

This in the purer dialects would be pendani.

The whole of this group is also

ch which changes to t in Kimvita.

(iii)

of the

(iv)

The

distinguished by the use

farther one goes from Zanzibar in this group the more

ch in place of k especially before certain vowels.

does one meet with

(v)

One

trained ear

Thus

is

in

of the

most striking differences

that the dental t and

these

dialects

between such words as

it

in this group to the

are almost absent.

would

mto and

d must be pronounced

be difficult to

distinguish

into.

in this group as a cerebral.

In the Zanzibar group there is no clipping of the

(vi)
personal pronouns prefixed to the verb but they are always used
in their full form.
Exceptions however occur in poetry and in a
few proverbs.

Example,

Nitakwambia =
or

t'akwambia
(vii)

The

Example,
This

I will tell

you

(sing.),

and not ntakwambia

as in purer Swahili.

interrogative suffix -ni occurs in all this group.

Amefanyani

= what has he done

not heard in Kimv. where the form is Amefanya nini P

and sometimes Amefanyaje? which latter also means " how has
is

he done?"

KIUNGUJA
There

is

wonderfully

little

15

difference in the vocabulary of the

three dialects of this group.

This is to be attributed probably to the slave and ivory caravans
which started from Zanzibar and pushed into these districts.

Swahilis from such caravans settled

Mrima and Mgao

the

down

in various places in

the original stock of

Swahilis there and bringing with them the dialect of Zanzibar.
The Swahilis of Lake Nyasa call their language, not Kiswahili

or

districts, replenishing

Kimgao but Kiunguja.

During the

last

century there has been a tremendous amount of

trade passing between Zanzibar and every part of the

Mgao

Mrima and

coasts.

It is thus easy to see

why both

these dialects should have been

stamped with the impress of the Zanzibar tongue, for Zanzibar

was the hub of their universe.
so

The habitats of the other dialects have been left, comparatively

speaking, alone and so have avoided the influence of the Zanzibar
tongue.

Kiunguja

1.

is

the language of Zanzibar and more especially of

the town of Zanzibar

Owing
is

the best
It is

in the

itself.

to the labours of the Universities'

known

and other missions

moreover provided with a considerable amount of

way

this

of all the dialects.

literature,

of grammars, vocabularies, stories, etc. accessible to the

student.

The only English -Swahili and Swahili-English

dictionaries avail-

able (Madan's) are in that dialect.

It has therefore been taken as the standard for comparison with

other dialects.
It is unnecessary to make any comment on
words on the pronunciation of certain letters.

The dental

it

then, except a few

and d are slurred over and do not occur as pure

dentals, especially the latter.

d's

two

The d used more approaches our English d than do any of the

touched on above, viz. dali safi, dali pindu and re pindu.
Zanzibar therefore practically confines itself to three t's and
d's.

These are tamarufa and the cerebral t aspirated and unaspirated, for t's, and a kind of dali pindu and the re pindu for d's.

KIMRIMA

16

The Arabic c however

is

marked

strongly

in

all its

changes

of pronunciation with different vowels.

Thus

ku-amrisha = to
ku-a'mrisha = to

and

Nor

no confusion between

in Kiung. there should be

order,

make

to flourish, strengthen.
"
"
should there be confusion between Taa' = allegiance

prosper,

for the first is spelt

taa="lamp,"
The Arabic tamaruf

with both

and

()*) is generally well marked

following two words should be pronounced differently

and

$.

and so the
and not be

confused,

Ku-saliTi
Ku-saliti

(fr.
(fr.

=
=
cJlo)

Ar. JaJLw)
Ar.

to be hard, unyielding
to urge, egg on.

Kiunguja has two sub-dialects, one of the interior of the island

and one of Pemba, which will be mentioned later.
2.

Kimrima,

or the dialect of the

Mrima

coast, is in use,

with

from Vanga nearly to Kilwa.

The dialect has been copiously dealt with by the Germans and
possesses a considerable amount of German-Swahili literature, inlocal variations,

cluding a Swahili paper edited at Tanga.

Changes of Letters

I.

frequently changes to

Examples

(in certain sub-dialects),

Balua

Sh

1.

for

barua

=a

Kalama

karama = a

Halusi

harusi

Bule
Chula

bure
chura

Halili

hariri

often changes to

letter

feast

= a wedding, or circumcision
ceremony

= gratis,
= a frog
= silk.

for

nothing

s.

Examples,

= a plan, counsel
Sauri
for shauri
Ku-siba
ku-shiba = to become replete (with food)
Ku-sinda
ku-shinda = to overcome, conquer

Kwisa

kwisha

= to be

finished

KIMRIMA
Ku-sika
Sindo

for

= to

seize

= a noise
ku-shitaki = to accuse
= eyebrows.
nyushi

Ku-sitaki

Nyusi

ku-shika
shindo

17

sometimes changes to k.

Examples,

Kiza

ku-sogea = to come near

ku-koroga = to stir
= what sort of?
gani ?
= darkness
giza

Koka

koga

Ku-sokea
Ku-koroka

for

KaniP

There
as

a tendency to

is

mutu

for

mtu = "a

=
a

insert

person," or

to bathe.

u after a nasal m
muje for mje = "you

such
(pi.)

must come."
This

is,

however, more marked in the next dialect.

is not a nasal immediately precedes a conin to prevent a closed syllable.

When an m which
sonant a u may be put

Sanmli

Examples,

for

Amuri

samli = ghee
amri = an order.

There

by

is occasionally a tendency to change k,

or e, into ch.

Example,

Ku-cheti

This too

more marked

is

for

ku-keti = to

stay,

when followed

sit.

in the next dialect.

Causative verbs sometimes have a different causative termination

from the one used in Kiung.

Examples,

Ku-vunza
Ku-anguza
Ku-fanyisha

The

less

inability

ku-vunjisha= to cause
ku-angusha = to cause
ku-fanyiza = to cause

pure a dialect

to pronounce

clearly.

for

is,

to break
to

fall,

knock down

to make.

the greater appears to be the dislike

This is probably due to the

two successive vowels.

of a native with thicker lips to pronounce such vowels

KIMRIMA

18

The usual method

of an

is

to slur over the vowels

by the introduction

or r sound.

Examples,

Kitowero

= foot, leg
= hunger
ku-pakua = to dish up
kitoweo = something

Jara

jaa

Mguru

for

guu

njaa

Njara

Ku-pakuru

(food)
to flavour or eat with rice,

etc.

Choroni

= dust
= bathroom,

chooni

,,

closet (locative)

chooko
=peas
kitambaa = handkerchief,

Choroko
Kitambara

More seldom one

of the vowels

Tabu

Example,

for

may

taabu =

rag.

be cut out.

trouble.

In some of the local variations of Kimr. the possessive pronoun

-ake changes to -akwe.
in dialect of the

Example,

Puku
(i.e.

he

saiba

is like)

Similarly

N.B.
out in

all

Bondei (of Pangani),

yakwe mchirika = the Buku

rat,

his fellow is

the mchirika rat.

Chakwe, kwakwe, vyakwe, pakwe,

This

is

etc.

an old Swahili form which seems to have died

but a few corners.

IL

Changes of

Grammar

The objective pronoun of the second person plural

same construction as in Kiung. viz.

follows the

Infinitive

Present
Perfect

Kumpendeni = to love you (pi.)

Nampendani = I love you (pi.)
Nimemwambieni, or nimekwambieni = I have told
you

Past

Future

Alimpendani = he loved you (pi.)

Atamwambieni, or atakwambieni = he

(pi.)

will tell

you

(pi.).

In reflexive verbs

Example,

i is

often used for

Kuiketilia

ji.

for kujiketilia

This

= to

is

sit

like

Kiamu.

oneself down.

KIMRIMA
Possessive pronouns

with sing, nouns of the

ya
ma-

19

or ja are used in place of la to agree

class.

Examples,

Jina ya fulani)
;

,.
Jma
ja

so

fulani

and

so s

name

= an axe

Soka ya kuni

Jicho ja babiye =

for firewood

his father's eye.

Also yake for lake and similarly for other concords in the sing,
of this class.

Singo yangu =

my

neck

= his kitchen
Gongo yako = your staff
Tango yetu = our pumpkin

Jiko yake

Neno

ingine

(or

nyingine) = another word.

N.B. On the coast immediately opposite Zanzibar, however,

concords as in Kiung., appear to hold good.
In Kiung. certain animate beings are in the form of the n- class
and their possessive pronouns take concords as for the n- class.

Ndugu, mama, baba, ng'ombe.

Examples,

The demonstratives and verbal

animate

Ndugu yangu

Example,

and not

concords, however, are of the

class.

ile

ndugu

but yule

ndugu amefika

imefika.

In certain dialects of Kimr. the n- class analogy is maintained

in the demonstrative, though not in the verbal concord.

Examples,

Ile

= that is the brother

ng'ombe = those are the cattle.

ndugu

Zile

mfaume = " that is

mfaume is of the first class.
Ile

the

chief,"

is

also

heard,

though

In the next dialect we get cases of the n- class analogy being

carried

The

still

farther.

interrog.

pronoun wapi P

is

often shortened to a suffix -pi ?

Examples,

Watokeapi
Nitapitapi

where do you come from

?
P

Utampatapi

= where shall I pass ?

= how (lit. where) will you

find

him

22

KIMKIMA

20

For the -kali (as yet) tense -ngali may be used, which must not
be confounded with the -ngali- conditional tense.
Examples,

= while I was as yet in the way

Ningali njiani
= he was as yet only a youngster
Angali mtoto
Angaliko mujini = while he was yet in the village.
In the -me- tense the pronominal prefixes a- and
times represented by e- and we-.

Wemekwenda = they
In place of -vyo-, -vofor

Alivopata

Nimevokwambia
III.

These are very

used in phrases such as follow

= how he got
=
nimevyokwambia as I have told you.
alivyopata

a few instances are given under.

for

namna

sort,

babake

his father

kind

Ku-gwia

ku-fikicha = to crumble
ku-kamata = to seize

Kinyumenyume

nyuma

(in certain senses)

Kiribiti

kibiriti

= a match

Kitumba
Machufuko

kanda

= a fisherman's basket
= disorders
= his mother
= a chief

Ku-fikinya

fitina

mamake

Mamiye
Mfaume

mfalme

Pahara)
>
Pahala j
,

..

=a

panali

= behind

place.

Changes of Idiom

IV.
I

have gone.

Changes of Vocabulary

slight,

Aina
Babiye

is

are some-

= he has come

Emekuja

Examples,

wa-

have not had any opportunity to

collect

any of these except

the three following.

A common

expression in Kimr.

Nitafanya

namna

gani P

for

is

nifanyeji ? = what shall

do

"
there inside."
occasionally used for humo meaning
Kati and kati ya are used instead of katika in such phrases as

Mnamo

is

Kati ya nchi

ile for

katika nchi

ile

in that country.

KIMGAO
3.

Kimgao

is

the language of the

21

Mgao

coast from Kilwa (or

Kirwa) southwards.
There is also a settlement of Mgao Swahilis on Lake Nyasa.
The language of these latter has borrowed a certain amount of
words from the languages of the surrounding tribes.

The

following remarks will refer

more

especially to this latter

dialect.

Changes of Letters

I.

As

in

Kirnrima r and

are interchanged but to a

still

greater

extent.

In this dialect, however, it would appear that the natives do

not properly distinguish between the two letters, and a word may
equally well be pronounced with either, or with a letter which is

way between the two.

Thus we have

exactly half

for

Njala

njara (Kimr.) = hunger

Tajili

tajiri

Kadili

kadiri

Ku-ludi

ku-rudi

Ku-luka

ku-ruka

Leale
Haluzi

harusi

Kwa heli

kwa

reale

= a rich man
= value, amount
= to return
= to fly
= a dollar

Bira

bila

Ku-pereka

ku-peleka

Asari

asali

= a wedding
= goodbye
= without
= to send
= honey

Mari

mail

= property.

heri

There does not appear to be a tendency to substitute s for sh.

in Kimrima there is a great aversion to pronounce two

As

vowels successively and the sound is carried over by means of 1 or

r.
The vowels that are especially objected to in juxtaposition are
:

ee

eo

oo

aa

ia

ea.

As will be shown later sounds in ee, such as the Kiamu nyee

and mbee, have already been provided with an 1 before reaching
Zanzibar or the Mrima.
Many of the sounds in eo, oo, and aa have, as has been shown
already, received r or

in

Kimrima

before reaching this dialect.

KIMGAO

22

The remaining two sounds on the

list,

in Kimr. but here they usually take the

ia and ea, are pronounced

or r.

Examples,

Ku-ingira

(or ingila) for

Ku-gwira
Ku-lira

Ku-mera
In

all

= to
ku-gwia (Kimr.) = to
= to
ku-lia
= to
ku-mea

ku-ingia

the Zanzibar group the -ae of

Mombasa

aendae = he who
aliae
he who

or

enter
seize

cry

grow.

as in

goes,
cries,

avoided by the use of y, viz. aendaye and aliraye but this is

more a grammatical than phonological change.
There appears, however, to be no aversion to the use of two u's
is

in juxtaposition.
In fact in the

is

U
by

Muungu

word

for

Mungu =

"

God," a second

added.
frequently added, especially after nasal ms,

is

if

followed

certain consonants.

Examples,

Mu

Auwali

for

awali

= before

Ku-amuka

ku-amka = to awake

Muti

mti

=a

tree.

general use instead of m, as the pronominal prefix of

second person plural, and as the objective infix of the third person
is in

sing.

Examples,

Mukataka

for

Miunupige

Nitamupa
Hivo

is

used instead of hivyo.

Fanya hivo

Example,

K before

= and you (pi.) want

mwampige = you (pi.) must beat him
= I will give him.
nitampa

mkataka

for

fanya hivyo = do

like that.

often changes to eh.

Examples,

Chingine

for

Chikaanguka
Hichi

Chichwa
Ku-chimbia

,,

kingine

= another

(thing)

kikaanguka = and (the thing)

= this (thing)
hiki
kichwa
=head
ku-kimbia = to run away.

fell

23

KIMGAO
II.

Grammar

Changes of

The construction of the

objective

pronoun of the second person

plural resembles that of Kiung. and Kimr. except that

the place of
before a consonant.

mu

takes

However, the

last -a of the verb does

not appear ever to change

to -e as in the last dialect.

Examples,

Kukupendani

Infinitive

or

kumupendani = to love you (pi.)

Perfect

= I tell you (pi.)

Namwambiani
=
Tumemwambiani We have told you (pi.)
Tumemupendani = We have loved you (pi.)

Past

Tulimwambiani = We

Future

_
Nitamupendam|
Nitakupendam j

Present

-Ear tense

The
junctive,

(pi.)

final -a of the

and

loved you

verb of course changes to -e in the sub-

in the -ka- tense after a subjunctive.

Examples,

= he must tell you (pi.)

he must tell you (pi.).

Amwambieni

Akakwambieni = and

The pronominal prefix of second person

is hau- instead of hu-

tenses

sing, in the negative

Examples,

= you do

Haupendi

Haukupenda = you

not love

did not love

Haujapenda = you have

not yet loved.

There appears to be a tendency to use the same pronominal

third person plural of
prefix for both the third person sing, and the
the animate

class.

no doubt from contact with the surrounding inland

languages many of which make no distinction.
This

is

Examples,

Amependa = he

has loved,

= he loved,
Alipenda
=
Hakupenda he did not
Hajapenda = he has not

love,

yet loved,

and

also,

they have loved

they loved
they did not love
they have not yet
loved.

K1MGAO

24

The

result of this

When

a verb

is

considerable ambiguity.

used with a relative the word

is

is

broken up

into two parts.

The first part ends with the relative while the next part consists
of the verb root with a ku- or kw- prefixed to it.
If there is

an objective

prefix, it

comes between the ku- and

the verb.

Very

often, however, with

an objective prefix the ku-

is

dropped.

Examples,

kwenda = where he (or they) went

= he who wants
Anao kutaka
Tuliwo kuwapa = we who gave them
Unapo kufika = when you come.
Alike

Occasionally locative forms, borrowed from the surrounding

languages, are used in place of the locative in -ni.
"
"
"
are
with

They

chiefly used

such words as

house

or

village."

Examples,

Mnyumba mwake

= in

= at
Pa muji pake
Ku (or kwa) muji kwake = to
The form -akwe

his

house

his village

his village.

of the possessive pronoun appears not to be in

use.

In this dialect the agreement of concords of animate beings in

is occasionally carried as far as the verb.

the n- class

This however

is

not done with

human

beings.

Examples,

= I hunted elands
=
Zimepata
they (the elands) have been
Ng'bmbe zinakwenda = the cattle go
Ndugu yangu anapita = my brother is passing.

Nalizisaka

mbunju

risasi

but

III.

hit

Changes of Vocabulary

The vocabulary of this dialect is very like that of Kimr.

However the sub-dialect (Nyasaland) we are chiefly talking
about, draws a number of local words from the surrounding languages.
Such are pindi for uta = " a bow," and ku-saka for kuwinda = " to
hunt."

KIHADIMU

KIMGAO.

25

Examples of other words,

Mahali

for

Kabila

Ku-ima

= a place
pahali
kabla or kabula = before
= to

ku-simama

, ,

This latter word, ku-ima,

stand.

the old Swahili word in use before

is

ku-simama \
Its causative

ku-imiza

also used.

is

Changes of Idiom

IV.

The Active form of the verb is preferred in this dialect and is

often used instead of the Passive at the expense of perspicuity.
There seems to be a general aversion to the use of the Passive.
Examples,

Amenipiga

was hit (lit. they hit me)

went to beat him and he himself was
\ beaten (lit. and he beat him himself).

Amekwenda kumpiga ) _~
akampiga mwenyewej
The

f he

Infinitive of the verb is

used more frequently than in other

dialects.

It is

place of

used on every conceivable occasion and often takes the

what in other dialects would be the -ka- or -ki- tenses.

Example,

Alikwenda kule,
kufika akaona

Mazuri

is

_ fHe went

there and

when he

arrived

~~

fulanij

he saw so and

so.

used in place of vizuri, agreeing with

mambo,

understood.

Example,

Si maziiri =

it is

not good (proper or

The above remarks can

N.B.

in

well).

no way be taken as applying

to a pure dialect.

This

is

a dialect

much

corrupted by intercourse with inland

tribes.

4.

Kihadimu and Kitumbatu

are the

names by which the

dialect of the isle of Zanzibar, outside the town,

The Wahadimu

is

known.

be descendants of the original

inhabitants of Zanzibar before the coming of the Arabs.
are

said

to

1
A similar state of things, viz. older words or forms being retained in
a newer dialect, can be noticed in some so-called "Americanisms."

26

KIMVITA

KIPEMBA.

Kihadimu

the dialect of the east and south of the island,

said to be the same dialect called by another name

is

and Kitumbatu

is

at the north of the island.

This dialect

is

more Bantu and

less

Arabic than the dialect of

the town of Zanzibar.

Many

of Steere's Swahili Stories are

much

in the style of this

dialect.

5.

Kipemba

is

the dialect of the

akin to the former dialect and like

the old inhabitants of the

it

of Pemba.
It is very
contains words drawn from

isle

isles.

6.
Kimvita is the dialect of Mombasa. It might be said to
extend from Malindi (north of Mombasa) to Gasi (south).

The origin of the name Mvita

" war."
to be derived from vita =

By

others

it

hides," because,

is

said

to be

is

said

by the people of Mombas

derived from

mfita="one who

when the Pate people swept down the

coast, the

Mombasa

people, then only savages, hid in the bush.

This latter derivation would appear more likely, for

it

is

The former explanation

simple transition to change f into v.
would involve the changing of t into t and the addition of m.
There is more difference between this dialect and Kiunguja
than between any of the dialects yet touched on.
In converting Kiung. words into Kimv. it must be remembered
that we are probably going backwards.
That is to say that words
probably came from Pate or

Mombasa

to the newer civilisation of

Zanzibar, being often altered in transit.

Mombasa drew its Swahili largely from
It is in

Kimv. that we

first

It is also probable that

Amu

and northwards.
meet the true dental letters t and d

which have not occurred in any of the dialects yet enumerated.

I.

Ch

Changes of Letters

Kiung. changes to t Kimv.

-biti

for -bichi

Ku-fita

ku-ficha

Matezo

machezo
mchanga

Mtanga

= unripe
= to hide
= games
=sand

27

KIM VITA

mchawi

= wizard

Mtele

mchele

=rice

Mtunga

= a herdsman
= gravy
mchuzi
pachapacha = a pair, alike
ku-chagua = to choose
= to laugh
ku-cheka
= lime
chokaa
= a leopard
chui
ku-chukua = to take, carry.

Mtawi

for

mchunga

Mtuzi
Patapata
Ku-tagua
Ku-teka

Tokaa
Tui
Ku-tukua

it

In other cases where a disturbing influence has acted on the t

has been, as the Swahilis say, turned over a little and becomes t'.
Such influences may be the letter n, or that the eh in Kiung.

is

aspirated, or

some other

Examples,

Nt'a

causes.
for

=a

ncha

point

T'awa
T'ewa

= a country
chawa = a louse
chewa = a certain fish

T'ini

chini

nchi

Nt'i

= below.

There are all grades of sound ranging between the pure dental t
and the aspirated cerebral t'. I have not tried to distinguish these
sounds as they

Those
(i)
(ii)
(iii)

differ

letters

almost with every vowel used.

marked

t nearly all occur in

Words derived from Arabic words spelt with O.

Words which are spelt in Kiung. with eh.
Words which do not occur in Kiung.

There are however several exceptions such as wot'e, mto, and

others.

The exceptions
(i)

to the rule that

In words in which the

eh Kiung. changes

eh

to t are

stands in place of ki,

viz.

and pronouns agreeing with ki- class such as cha,

chetu, changu, chako, etc.
These pronouns should really be kia, kietu, kiangu, kiako,
etc. but have undergone a euphonistic change to eh.
(a) Particles

(6)

Words

reason as (a).

of the ki- class beginning with eh, for the

same

KIM VITA

28

Examples, Chakula, chambo, chandarua, change, cheo,

chombo, choo, chuma, chumba, chumvi, chungu, chuo,
chura.
All of these are the same in Kimv.

Foreign words and

beginning with ch-.
(ii)

many

of the words of the

ma-

class

Examples, Chai, chaki, chaza (ma- class in Kimv.), ehenza,

chokora, chuni (=a kind of water bird), chungwa.

(iii)

few other exceptions which do not appear to follow

rule.

any

=
Examples, Ku-choka, ku-chafuka, uchafu, ku-cha ( to
fear), -changa, chapa, ku-chelewa, chooko, ku-chota, choyo,
-chache, mchekeche, mchikichi.

A few

other words might be remarked on containing ch.

heard as both tupa and chupa in Kimv.,

used indiscriminately in the n- or in the ma- class so it

Chupa
but

it is

(Kiung.)

is

follows the rules above.

In

Kiamu

it

belongs only to the n- class and

is

always called

tupa.

and kichwa change to kutwa and kitwa (Kimv.),

and Kip.) they appear as kuTa and
but
kiTa pronounced with tamaruf (1).
Ku-cha (to dawn) does not change in Kimv. Possibly however
the word is borrowed in its entirety from Zanzibar as this word is
never heard in the purer dialects, ku-pambauka and other

Kuchwa

in the purer dialects (Kiam.

expressions being used in

Nj

in

its place.

Kiung. changes to

nd

in Kimv., the

being the semi-

dental explained above.

In Kimv. this d is not quite the pure dental owing to the
disturbing effect of the letter n.

Taking
are

first

those occurring at the beginning of a word, there

Examples,

Ndaa
Nde
Ndia

Ndiwa
Ndoo

for

,,

njaa = hunger
nje

outside

njia

road, path

njiwa = a dove
njoo = come (imperative).

29

KIMVITA
Exceptions,

The

Njama, njuga, njugu and njema.

three of these, however, are probably not of pure

Swahili origin while the last is sometimes pronounced ngema.
Of those occurring not at the beginning of a word we have
first

Examples,

Ku-vunda

for

ku-vunja =

to break

ku-chrnja = to

Ku-tinda

kill.

However there are many exceptions such as mbinja, ku-onja

and ku-kunja which remain the same in Kimv. but change according
to rule in Kiam.
II.

The construction

Changes of

Grammar

of the objective pronoun in the second person

plural with the verb differs in Kimv., Kiam.,

in the Zanzibar group.

The construction

is

as follows

etc.

from that employed

Perfect

Kuwapenda = to love you (pi.)

Nawapenda = I love you (pi.)
Amewambia = he has told you (pi.)

Past

Tuliwapenda = we

Future

Watawapenda = they
=that
Niwapende

Infinitive

Present

Subjunctive

In each case this

is

loved you
will love
I

may

identical with the

(pi.)

you

(pi.)

love you

(pi.).

construction for the

objective pronoun of the third person plural.

Yua- is used in place of a- as the pronominal prefix for the

third person plural of the present.
= he
= he
Yuateka = he

Examples,

The

possessive

Yuaja

is

Yualia

is

crying

is

laughing.

-akwe

is

in

coming

some sub-dialects used

in place of

-ake.

Nyumba yakwe = his

Examples,

Chuo chakwe
This however

With

is

= his

house
book.

not often heard.

this dialect begin the clipped forms of

pronominal prefix.
These are only heard with the future -ki- and -ka- tenses.
The most usual is the ordinary colloquial Mombasa changing

ni- to n-.

KIMVITA

30
Thus,

nt'akwambia

nitakwambia = I

for

will tell you.

In this case the proximity of the

has the disturbing effect
of aspirating the t of the tense particle.
In the purer Mombasa and in the Lamu Archipelago this becomes

t'akwambia.
Examples,

Kaa

t'akulipa

Kamwambia
There

(for

= just wait I'll pay you out

=
akamwambia) and he said to him.

an abbreviation of nika- to ha-

is

in the first

person sing,

of the narrative tense.

Example,

Hapita

Relatives of

all classes

for

nikapita = and

I passed.

tend to become simple -o- in the verbal

infix.

Examples,

= he who went
= the tree which fell
ilioanguka = the house which fell.

Aliokwenda
Mti ulioanguka

Nyumba

Exceptions are the locatives, -mo-, -po-, and -ko-.

alikokwenda = where he went

= when he came,

Examples,

alipofika

and occasionally -cho-, -lo,

-zo-

and -vyo-.

Examples,

neno ulilonambia = the word which you

vitu nilivyonunua = the things which

said to

me

bought.

The tendency, however, is distinctly to simplify even these to

the simple -o- which was, it is said, the old form of the relative
irrespective of classes.

However

in adverbial phrases as

atakavyotenda = as he
the

full

form -vyo-

When

is

will

do (behave),

always used.

the relative occurs as a suffix the

occasionally the simple -o-

Examples,

is

full

form

is

used except

used for -wo- and -yo-.

Upendacho = (the

thing) you wish

you are going

Wendako = where
Mti utakao = the

but

However there

is

tree

you want.

an abbreviation of the relative of the third

person sing, from -ye- to

-e-.

KIMVITA

31

This serves to distinguish other dialects from the Zanzibar group.

= he who wants

Atakae

Examples,

Mtu aendae = the man who

The

goes.

Kimv. and in all the dialects enumerated above

causes the verb and its particles to be broken into two parts, each
bearing an accent on the penultimate.
For the convenience of the reader in pronouncing these I have
often written them as two separate words, although this is not the
usual custom in English Swahili writings.
The Swahilis themselves, however, recognize them as two words.
relative in

Examples,

The

Atakapo kwe*nda = when he shall go

= where we arrived.
Tuliko ffka

denotes the accent.

III.

Many

Changes of Vocabulary

of the words given below will be understood

and occasion-

both Kiung. and Kimv.

They are none the less characteristic of the dialect they are
assigned to, being in more common use in that dialect.
used

ally

in

Other of the words

will

practically

never be heard in the

opposite dialect.

Kimvita

English

= hippo
= sjambok)
= finger, toe
= to sneeze
= a book

= suddenly
= pitcher (Arab decanter)
= cob of maize

(stripped

grains)

Hasa

haswa

Ku-keti

ku-kaa

Kitunguli

sungura
ku-panda
ku-panda
kanga

Ku-kwea
ku-panda
Leso

(but

= exactly
= to sit, remain
= a hare
= to climb
= to mount (a horse,
= woman's robe.

etc.)

of

32

KIMVITA

Kimvita

Kiunguja

Maboga

English

= vegetables

miboga
mafya

for

Mafiga

= three stones
= breasts

maziwa
tembo

Matiti

Ndovu
Ku-nena

= elephant

= to say
= to drink
= peas
= grated coconut

ku-sema
ku-nywa
chooko

Ku-nwa
Pojo

Taki

chicha

for cooking-pot

after extrac-

tion of tui

Ku-teta

= pumpkin
= syphilis
= to descend
ku-gombana = to quarrel

Tomoko

stafele

Tango
Tego
Ku-teremka

boga
sekeneko
ku-shuka

topetopej

Ku-tunda

ku-chuma

Uoga (and woga)

kiyoga

Usitu

ukili

Ku-vyaa

ku-zaa
IV.

= custard apple

= to pluck, gather
= mushroom
= strips for sewing mats
= to bear (children, fruit).

Changes of Idiom

Below are a few idiomatic expressions, the majority are more or

but a few may be met with in others.

less confined to this dialect

Utampata wapi P (for utampataje P) = how will you find him 1

Utaka nini ? (for utakani ?) = what do you want ?
Ana matata = he is difficult to deal with
Hebu or, hebu mi = leave me alone, don't worry me
also, hebu = come let us, please, let me (pass)
Kula njama - to take counsel
Ku-kumbwa na sheitani = to be possessed, or smitten by, the devil
!

(a frequent occurrence)

Mwenyi

paliti

= an unclean

person, one

who has not performed the

necessary ablutions (ku-tamba)

Usingizi

unaniuma = I

feel sleepy (lit. sleep is hurting me)

that goes alone, lone (buffalo, buck)
Bora azima = never mind (lit. health is best, foremost)
Heri apendalo Mungu = what God wishes is best (often

Mwenda pweke = one

an

excuse for doing some shady trick to get

out of a difficulty)

KIMVITA
Kujilalia = to

lie

33

oneself down, rest oneself

Mangaribi inatangamana = twilight is falling

Konde mzigo = a very stalwart person (lit. the fist a load)
Ku-oga kabisa = to wash all over
Mamako ndiye mungu wa pili = your mother is (your) second
God (therefore obey her)
= Have you not treated me badly ?
P
neno
Hukunifanya
Sasa haina neno = Now there is no more fear, now it will give no
more trouble (when the brunt of a piece of
work has been successfully performed)

Ku-kata roho = to

die

Gazeti! (exclamation) = lie falsehood, you

lie (der.

from the E. A.

with apologies)
Amekucheza = he has made evil medicine against you.
Ao is often omitted between two alternatives.
Gazette

Example,
Nilete kijiti kibiriti P = am

I to

ya kumba kumba = a big

Mkono kwa mkono = from hand
Safari

bring a toothpick or a match

safari
to

hand

Akili ni mali = (your) wits are (your) fortune (sarcastically)

Haina maana wala haina tamu = it has no rhyme or reason

Ku-kata nguo = (i) to buy clothes, (ii) to take (a leso) into wear
Ku-patisha moto = to heat up
Ku-nyosha mkono = to make a long arm
Twende zetuni (also twendeni) = let us go (only if more than
two go, i.e. more than one other and yourself)
Sijui anaketije = I don't know what is the matter with him (or,
what he is thinking of)
Nini hii = this what's -its-name
Nani hii = that what's-his-name.
7.

Kivumba

is

the dialect of

Vanga and Wasini

island.

This might be considered as a sub-dialect of Kimvita.

There are also other sub-dialects on the coast between

and Vanga consisting of Kirnvita with a greater or

less

Mombasa
admixture

of Kinyika, viz. Kidigo.

It must be remembered that Kimvita has drawn largely on
Kinyika and Kigiryama for its Bantu words.
The process of time however has so altered many of these that

they are scarcely to be recognized.

s.

KIAMU

34

Kiamu

8.

the dialect of the town of

is

Amu,

or

Lamu, on the

island of that name.

The word Lamu is said to have been derived from the name of
tribe, the Banu Lami, who came from the Persian Gulf.
The old name for Lamu was Kiwa Ndeo, or the island of Ndeo,
kiwa being old Swahili for kisiwa = "island."

an Arab

As

this dialect is not well

known

hope to go into

it

more

fully

than any of the preceding.

I.

Two

Changes of Letters

successive e's in Kiam. have

when passing

had an

placed between them

Kimv.

into

Examples,

Kiamu

Kimvita

Makee

English

makalele = shouts
mawele = millet

for

Mawee
Mbee

mbele

= before

Mtee

mtele

=rice

Muwee

mwele

=a

Nyee
Ku-tea (teea)

=hair
nyele
ku-peleka = to send
ku-telea = to add to

Upee

upele

Ku-peka (peeka)

=a

sick person

pimple.

Exceptions,

Mzee

for

Tele (not tee)

J Kimv.

is

mzee

(not mzele)

tele

= old person
= much.

softened into y.

Examples,

K'ayek'aye
Kiyakazi

Kiyamanda

for k'ajek'aje

kijakazi
,,

- cords
= slave

fastening sail to yard

girl

KIAMU

Yambo

35

K1AMU

36
Occasionally

Examples,

Baghaa

in

Kimv.

Kiyemba
Yeo

is

for

changed to y.

kilemba = a turban
= to-day.
leo

KIAMU

37

All concords agreeing with plural of ki- class change v- or vyto z-.

Thus

za, zake,

zenu, zote,

place of vya, vyake,

-zi-,

-zo, zile, hizi,

vyenu, vyote,

-vi-,

Examples of other words changing v

Mvuzi
Mwizi

for

Ku-zaa
Ku-zrnnbua
Apart from

all

class there are few

-ovii,

used in

to z,

= a fisherman
= a thief
= to give birth
ku-vyaa
ku-vumbua = to explore.

mvuvi
mwivi

concords connected with the plural of the ki-

words which make this change.

Exceptions, -kavu,

nguvu,

,,

etc. are

-vyo-, vile, hivi, etc.

mavi, mvua, mwavuli, ndevu, nguva,

ku-vaa, ku-vua, and many others.

between two vowels

is

sometimes dropped.

Examples,

Ku-awanya

for

ku-gawanya

Mbeu
Nduu

mbegu
ndugu

Tendeo

tendego
ku-tegua

Ku-teua

Nz

in

(or

= to divide
= seeds
= brother
= a leg of the kitanda
=
tagua) to choose.

Kimv. becomes nd.

Examples,

Ku-anda
Ku-funda

for

Indi

Kandu
Kitandi

Rwanda
Mpendi

ku-anza - to begin
ku-funza = to teach
= a fly
inzi
= a kanzu
kanzn
= a loop
kitanzi
kwanza = first
mpenzi - a loved one

Mwandi

mwanzi ^bamboo

Mwando

mwanzo = beginning

Nyende
Tandu
Ku-tunda
Utendi
Exception,

,,

= a cricket
nyenzi
= a bough
tanzu
ku-tunza to take care of
= a story in verse.
utenzi

Ku-kanza (Kimv.) = ku-kanga

(Kiam.)

KIAMU

38

Nj

if it

has not already become

nd

in

Kimv. changes now.

Examples,

Ku-kunda
Ku-onda

for

Wanda

ku-kunja = to fold
ku-onja = to taste
= antimony.
wanja

The word mbinja does not occur in Kiam., ku-piga uzi

"
nyuzi) being used for to whistle."

(pi.

occasionally changes to s at the beginning of a word.

Examples^
Ku-sikilia for ku-fikilia

Simbo

fimbo

=a

Ku-sita

ku-fita

stick

-to hide
ku-fyonda = to suck.

Ku-sonda
S

to reach to, arrive at

occasionally occurs in place of

sh

in

Kimv, (as

is

also the case

in Kimr.).

Examples^

Kwisa

Mwiso
Ku-pisa
Ku-soto

Sh

for

= to finish
mwisho = the end
ku-pisha = to make way for
ku-shoto = left, on the left side.

kwisha

occasionally takes place of

ch Kimv.

Examples,

Shaza

Ku-shumua
Shungwa

for
,,

ku-ehenma - to sneeze
chungwa = orange.

M has a tendency to become mu

Some

= oyster

chaza

of the examples below

(as in

elide a

Kimr. *).
at the

same

time, see

35.

page

Examplest

Mui

(xmiyi)

Muinga (muyinga)

Muwee
Muyue
Muyukuu
Muynmbe
1

for

= a town, village
mji
mjinga = a simpleton
mwele = a sick person
= you (pi.) must know
mjue
mjukuu = grandchild
mjumbe = a sultan's crier.

Very possibly northern words and forms were brought down to the Mrima
time Jumbes from Pate were put in some of the towns on that coast.

at the

KIAMU

-39

occasionally occurs in place of the other vowels a, e,

and

o.

Examples,

= a bundle of clothes
for bahasha
=
box
of leather or miaa)
Kiam.
a
snuff
(Bahasha,
Ku-dudumia for ku-didhnia = to sink down

Bulmsha

Kula
Ku-kurubia

Nahutha
Ku-shumua
Ku-shundua

kila

all,

every

ku-karibia = to draw nigh

,,

= captain, skipper
nahotha
ku-chemua = to sneeze
ku-shindua = to set ajar (a door)
= we all
sote
= to shake the head (in
ku-tikisa

Sute

Ku-tukusa

There are exceptions which change reversely,

Disimali
Kasidi

for

dusumali =
=
kusudi

viz

dissent).

a scarf
intention, purpose.

N occurs rarely in place of m.

Examples,

Kana

for

Kinya
Ku-zinya

Chw
something

,,

= like, as (cp. Kimr.)

= silent
kimya
ku-zimisha = to extinguish.

kama

of Kiung. changes to
like

(tamarufa) and

is

pronounced

Tw.

Examples^

KiTa

for

kichwa = head

KuTa

kuchwa = the

MTa

mchwa

whole day

termites (in wingless stage).

Below are given about fifty words which suffer slight changes of
but which do not come under the rules above.

letters

Kiamu

Akhira (or, ahira)

Ku-bokea

Kimvita
for

ahera

ku-bopea

Chenjele

kengele

Ende

mende

Ku-fana
Ku-fana

ku-fanana

Foromani

foromali

Garide

gwaridi

ku-fanikia

English

= the next world

- to feel soft (of fruit)
= a bell
= a cockroach
= to be alike
= to prosper
= a ship's yard
= drill, band

KlAMtJ

40

Kimvita

Kiamu

English

= a clay decanter
Guu (ma) (mguu not used) for mguu (mi) = a leg
= to hunt
Ku-inda
for ku-winda
= violence
Jauri
jeuri
=
ku-kanza
Ku-kanga (moto)
(moto) to apply fomentations,

Guduwia

for

guduria

hot rags

Kijibao

= waistcoat
= small

insect, crab

= a sore
= cashew-nut
= to wash, bathe
= potash to mix with snuff
= a place
= scents
= a weed with crow's foot
thorns

- a giraffe
= a chief
= a smith
c.)
= to swallow
= an insect
= rubber, a ball
= a line
= a servant
-

a fable

= skin, hide,
= a hammer
= who?
= a hyaena

pelt

KIAMU
Kiamu

41

Kimvita

Uwingu
Uwongo

for

English

ubingu
udongo

uthia

Uzia
Ku-va
Ku-viva

the heavens

clay

trouble,

ku-vua (samaki) = to

annoyance

fish

ku-iva

to

Vumbivumbi

kivumbi

(in cooking)
dust (out of doors)

Ku-waka
Wisha

ku-aka

ushwa

to build (stone buildings)

bran, husks after pound-

Ku-ziwia

ku-zuia

to resist.

(dust in house

ripen, be

well done

= jaa)

ing

II.

Changes of

Grammar

There are a certain number of tenses, freely used in Kiamu,

which either do not occur or are not in frequent use in Kimvita.
In Kiam. there are two past tenses and two negative past tenses.

The

first

or ordinary past applies only to the

immediate or

present past.

The second

Near

applies to the past or distant past.

Past.

Nali-

Uli-

you
he

Ali-

Tuli

Muli-*

ata=

we
got (to-day or yesterday).

<

ye

Wali-

they

Uli-

it

etc.

etc.

Distant Past.

Naliki-^

Uliki-

you

Aliki-

he

Tuliki-

we

Muliki- pata
Waliki-

ye
they

Uliki-

it

etc.

v^etc. J

got (long ago)

or,

used to

get.

KIAMU

42

The

distant past tense chiefly occurs in historical narrations

more used in the third person than otherwise.

and

stories so is

For an example of
-nga- tense (page 44).

its

use see below in a sentence under the

Krapf gives naliki- as an alternative for the first person sing,

As in the other persons he gives the alternatives
past.
as uli uki-, ali aki, etc. it is probable that he means nali (n)ki
"
"
penda = I was loving and not this tense.
of the

Near Past

Negative.

(The usual form.)

S1KU-

HukuHakue

did not get (to-day or yesterday).

KIAMU
Negative -ki-

tense.

43

KIAMU

44
The only exception

is

the

pi.

of the ki- class which, as before

etc.
stated, takes concords zi-, hazi-, etc. in place of vi-, havi-,
The tenses which remain I hope to explain by a few examples

only.

These the reader can transpose to suit any case or concord by

following the usual rules.

There

a past perfect tense which to a certain extent takes the

is

place of the rather

cumbersome alikuwa amekwisha ku

Past Perfect,

The

tense particle

is

-lime-

= " had

already."

Example,

Ulipotoka alimekuya = he had already come when you went

The "although"

The tense

tense.

particles are

na

"
nga- = although."

generally used with the verb ku-wa="to be," though

occasionally occurs with a few others.
It

it

out.

is

Examples,

Mtende hunu zamani walikitenda sana na-u-nga-wa sasa

hautendi tena = this date

now

it

no longer

tree formerly bore well although

bears.

Alikuwa na mali nangawa masikini sasa = he was rich

although now poor.
Niangawa na ndaa sili - although I am hungry I do not eat.
Nangafa u hai kwa-ni ameata kij ana = although he is dead (yet)
is

he alive for he has

The

left

a son (who bears his name).

-zii tense.

Formed by the addition

If the

otherwise

of -zii to the verb.

verb ends in -a following a vowel the -a

it

may change

The meaning

is

"

to

is

elided,

-i.

to be in the act of doing something."

Examples,

Nalimdirika utukuzii mzigo = I met him

in the act of carrying

a load

Uketizii = he (she) was in the act of sitting

(or,

as she was sitting).

KIAMU
The

"

while yet

This tense

is

45

"
tense.

mentioned by Taylor.

The tense particle is -kali generally used only with a copula

but occasionally with a verb.
The meaning is "while as yet," "while yet," or, "as yet,"
"yet."

"still,"

It generally requires

another verb following before the sense

rendered complete.
The usual construction

is

"while yet so and so something

is,

happened."

Examples,
nikali ndiani = and he recognized
as yet in the way

Akanitambua
Akali mtoto

amu yake

me

while

akashika ufaume = as he was

was

still

child his uncle governed.

For examples containing no contingent condition and with a

verb see appendix to Taylor's African ApJiorisms.
Also see the
first line of verse on page 116, ibid.

Another tense

is

the perfect in -e-e.

Taylor mentions this also as being an old poetic preterite.

It is however in everyday use at the present in Kiamu.
It

appears to have the meaning of a completed action

still

in

continuation.

This tense

is

formed by changing the vowels of the

and adding the pronominal

syllables of the verb to e

ene

for

ona, kee for kaa,

Verbs having their

two

prefix, viz.

etc.

last

to be preferred for present

last

two

day

syllables bearing the vowel

a seem

use.

Examples,

Upende

farasi

= he

is

riding a horse (viz. he has

still

mounted and

is

mounted).
"

he has mounted a
perfect amepanda farasi would mean
horse (but at the time of speaking he may have dismounted again)."

The

Yana usiku

nilele

Kasikia makalele
1

Mojo nampenda Chele

1

Mojo

is

Last night as I slept

I heard a noise

My

heart loves Chele.

supposed by the poet to be Kimv.

for

Moyo.

KIAMU

46

For first person sing, ni- and not na- must be used with this
tense and for third person sing, u- and not a-.

Sultani wa Manda ulele = the Sultan of Manda sleeps

Mtama usimeme = the mtama is standing (i.e. has grown

Akamtoma

Limpeteo = that which has

There
-to.

is

is

befallen him.

an intensive form of the verb

A final
This

up but

has not yet been harvested)

ulele = and he stabbed him while aaleep

-a

made by

the addition of

sometimes changed to -e.

mentioned by Steere in his handbook as occurring in
is

poetry.
in common use at the present day in
in poetry.
occurs
only
much the same as if sana had been placed after

In a few expressions

Kiam. but otherwise

Its

meaning

is

it is

it

the verb.

Examples,

Fungato

(or

fungeto) = bind tightly

Weketo
The

reflexive -ji- of

place well.

Kimv. becomes

-i-.

Examples,

Akailalia

Kuisifu
Kuiketilia

= and he laid himself down

= to boast (praise oneself )
kujiketilia = to sit oneself down.

for akajilalia

kujisifu

The imperative second person plural is always pendani and the

Zanzibar group pendeni is never heard, as it occasionally is in
incorrect Kimvita.
Pronouns.

The demonstratives
in

differ slightly

from Kimv. so some are given

full.

Mtu huyu
Mtu hoyo
Mtu u!6
Watu hawa
Watu hao
Watu wale
Mti huu

(or

for
,,

hunu)

mtu huyu
mtu huyo
mtu yule
watu hawa
watu hawo
watu wale
mti huu

= this person
= that person
= that (far) person
= these persons
= those persons
= those (far) persons
= this tree

KIAMU
Miti hii

(or

for

him)

47
= these trees

miti hii

= this house
hizi - these houses

Nyumba hii (or him)

Nyumba hizi

nyumba
nyumba

Chuo hiki
Zuo hizi

chuo hiki
vyuo hivi

Ito hili

jito hili

this book
= these books
- this eye

Mato haya
Uso huu (or hunu)
Nyuso hizi
Hoko

mato haya

= these eyes

uso huu

this face

there.

The remainder

nyuso
,

hizi

of the demonstratives

same except

huko

been omitted as they are the same.

The farther demonstratives ule, il,
as they are the

hii

huwo, hiyo,

etc.

for the accent,

these faces

have

etc.

have been omitted also

which comes on the

last

syllable.

There

is

also a demonstrative for a very distant object

made by

adding -e to the farther demonstrative. Examples, ule, wa!6e,

i!6e, zile, etc.
There is also a form used with wakati = time, period, viz.
:

Wakati hunu = at
Wakati hono = at
N. B.

Hono

is

this time, period

that time, period.

occasionally used in Kipate with other nouns of

this class.

The arrangement
plural is the same as
Example,

of the objective pronoun of the second person

in Kimv.

Nawapenda = I

love

you

(pi).

The clipping of the pronominal prefix occurs in the future and

the -ka- and the -ki- tenses, in the first and third persons sing. only.
Examples,

T'akwambia = I
Kasikia

Kipata

Where yua-

or

yu-

is

will tell you

and he hears (heard)
= and when he had got.

used in Kimv. as a pronominal prefix for

third person sing., plain u- is used in Kiam.

It is also used in the -e-e tense, the -zii tense

other instances.

and

in several

KIAMU

48
Examples,

Hoyo una

hila sana = he

Ukaa hali
Una
Uwene

gani ?

Utukuzii

U-

is

of guile

taking.

agreement with nouns in the

with the verb but with the

also used as the concord for

of the sixth class not only

sing,

is full

= he sleeps
= what is his state ?
= he has
= he has seen
= he is in the act of

Ulele

adjective.

Example,

Ufunguo umoya

ufunguo mmoya = one key

ufalme mpya - a new kingdom.

for

Ufaume upia

Except when the adjective commences with a vowel.

Uknta mwingine = another

Example,

The pronominal
changes to

prefix

wall.

of the second person plural

often

mu.

Examples,

Mulikwenda = you
but before t

Hamulipata = you
it is m.

Example,

lye
It

is

Hamtopata = you

(pi.)

went

(pi.)

did not get

(pi.) shall

not get.

used in place of -je the interrogative

forms a separate word unlike the

suffix.

latter.

Examples,

Tutapata iye

Takwenda
Interrogative

tutapataje ?

nt'akwendaje

= how
= how

shall

we

shall I

get

go

nni ?

The Kimv. nini

the

for

iye P

is

converted into Kiam. by cutting out the

first -i-.

Example,

Wataka nni

wataka nini = what do you want ?

In Kimv. there is no difference between the interrogative kwani
(der.

fr.

kwa nini

P for

?)

and the conjunction kwani.

KIAMU
The

interrog.

Kwani

is

suffix -ni ? takes the place of

of Kiung. form, in which dialect the

nini P

In Kiam. the two words differ

Kwa nni ?

or

49

viz.

kwanni

Kwani

= what
= for.

for

why ?

Relatives.

The
The

relative -o- is used as

an

infix for all classes of nouns.

locative particles alone have their own relative forms -ko-,

-po-, -mo- and the infix -zo- (agreeing with zitu understood) when

used in an adverbial sense.

The

latter takes the place of -vyo- in

Kimv.

Examples,

Tumezotaya
Amezotenda

for

tulivyotaja = as we have related

alivyotenda - as he has done (or, how he has
done)

Kama nimezokwambia

for

kama nalivyokwambia = as

I told

you.

N.B.

Note the use of

relative with perfect,

an unusual con-

struction in Kimvita.

Examples

(of locative relative),

Tulipokwenda = when we went

Tulikokwenda = where we went
Tulimokwenda = in where we went.
In

all

When

other cases the simple -othe relative occurs as a

is

used as an

suffix, distinction is

infix for all

made between

the different classes.

Examples,

Apendalo
Mwana apendae

= the (matter) he

desires

= the child he loves

= the things he wants

Zitu atakazo
Chakula atakacho = the food he wants.
Even with these however there
-y- in -wo and -yo.

is

a tendency to suppress the

w- and

Example,
8.

Mikate atakao = the

loaves he wants,
4

KIAMU

50

When

the relative

used with the past tense

is

(-11-)

the

-i-

of

the tense particle is elided.

Examples,

Nalopata

= he who brought
=
which I got
naliopata

Walonipa

walionipa = which they gave me.

Aloeta

When

for alioleta

the relative

is

used with the future (-taka-) the

final -a-

is elided.

of the tense particle

Examples,

Watakopata
Tutakokupa

When

for

the relative

tense particle

watakao pata = they who

tutakao kupa = which we
is

used with the negative

shall get
shall give you.

(-si-)

the

-i-

of the

is elided.

Examples,

Asopata

for

Asopenda

asio pata = he who did not get

asio penda = he who did not love.

Exceptions,

When

the full form of the relative

mentioned above, no

is

used, as in the cases

elision takes place.

Examples,

kwenda = when he went

Watakazo pata - as they shall get
Alipo

Nisipo taka

The
with

= if I do not want

(or,

when

do not want).

plurals of certain nouns of the second class commencing

or mo- are in Kiam. treated as if belonging to the sixth

mw-

class.

however they are the names of trees or plants, or anything

pertaining to trees or plants, they remain as of the second class.
If

Examples,

Moto

Moyo

Mwaka
Mwako
Mwamba
Mwambao
Mwandiko

Mwango

pi.

nyoto

for

nyoyo
nyaka
nyako

nyamba
nyambao
nyandiko
nyango

,,

= a fire
= a heart
mioyo
= a year
miaka
= heat, a flame
miako
miamba = a rock
miambao = a coast
miandiko = a manuscript
miango = an echo

mioto

KIAMU

Mwanya

nyanya

pi.

Mweleko

nyeleko

Mwendo

nyendo

Mwezi

nyezi

tree, or

for

51

mianya
mieleko

miendo
,,

miezi

= a gap in the teeth

= a sling
= a going
= a month, moon.

anything to do with a tree or plant, takes plural as of

the second class although beginning with

mw-

or

mo-.

Examples,

Mwembe

miavuli = an umbrella
miembe = a mango tree

Mwiko

miko

Mwiwa

miwa

Mwavuli

Mwewe
with

pi.

in

Kiam.

wewe =

is

pi.

treated, quite correctly, as of the first class

"kites."

The agreement

of adjectives with the

as of the sixth class

is

If it

second

nouns above with plurals

as follows.

If the adjective begins with a

for pi. of

= a wooden spoon
= a thorn.

consonant

it

takes a concord as

class.

commences with a vowel

it

takes a concord as for

pi.

of

sixth class.

Nyaka miwili
Nyoto mikuu

Examples,

= two years
= big fires,

Nyezi nyingine = other months

Nyeleko nyeupe = white slings.

but

There are two particles

but not in the

They
words

less

pure

mbwa

and nda which occur

in Kiam.,

dialects.

are used as genitives and sometimes take the place of the

mwenyi and mwenyewe.

Examples,
Kitu hiki

Mbwa

mbwa nyani P

fulani

Mbwangu (mbwako, mbwake)

Mbwetu (mbwenu, mbwao)
Nyumba hini nda fulani
Ndangu

(ndako, ndake)

Ndetu (ndenu, ndao)

1

= whose is this thing ?

= it belongs to so and

so

= it is mine (thine, his)

= it is ours (yours, theirs)
= this house is so and so's
= it is mine (thine, his)
= it is ours (yours, theirs).

Also nyawanyo.

42

KIAMU

52

Changes of Vocabulary

III.

There is considerable difference in vocabulary between Kiam.

and Kimv.
About one hundred words are appended as examples.
N.B. Where the Kimv. word has several distinct meanings it
does not follow that the word is not also used in Kiam. in a

meaning not given.

Example,

Ku-tunda
in

i.e.

Kiam.

if

ku-toa =

for

you want to say

to give out, take out,

"
to give out
(rupees)

"

ku-tunda (rupia) and not ku-toa (rupia).

Ku-toa is never heard in this sense but it
its

other sense of "to turn out," "put out,"

is

frequently heard in

viz.

akamtoa muini = and he put him out

Kiamu

you say

of the town.

Kimvita

English

Ku-andika (chakula)

ku-ita
ku-teleka

= elder brother
= to call, invite
= to put (food) on

Ku-angalia
Bibi

ku-tazama
nana

= to look
= grandmother

Bombwe

funza, jongoo -jigger, sea slug

Ku-cha

ku-ogopa
mshale
ku-yeyuka
ku-kuta
ndui

Abawa
Ku-amkua

for
,,

Chembe
Ku-dauka
Ku-dirika

Dudu
Ku-egema

mkubwa

ku-karibia

Pahali

Ku-fuma (nyama)

ku-winda

Pungwa

ndiwa

Puzi

bega

Ku-gura

ku-hama

Hirijiiri

alfajiri

sana

Ifu

Ku-iza
Janibu

= to fear
= an arrow
= to melt
to meet,

jirani

come

across

= smallpox
= to come near to
= a cock
= to hunt (lit. to aim)
= a pigeon
= shoulder
to

change residence

early

ku-kataa

the fire

dawn

growth
coconut

inside

= to refuse
= neighbourhood

KIAMU
Kiamu

53

Kimvita

Ku-jepa
Jura
Kata

for

Katiti

kwiba

}>

mjinga

3>

pishi

)5

kidogo

Kidundu
Kifuvu mayonde

kitoma
kobe

Kiharahara

paka wa mwitu

Kiliwia

mjeledi

Kipitu
Ku-kiri

msetu
ku-kubali

Kisha paruru]
Kisindi

guguta

Kitangu
Kitikuu

kiunga
kigunya

Kiunga

nyumba ya

kutilia nazi I =

shambani

Kiwe

KIAMU

54
Kiamu

Muyungu

Kimvita
for

bugu la mtoma

Mvnle

mume

Mwendao
Mzuka
Nana
Ndwe

msafiri

Nina

mama

Nsi

samaki
kucha

zimwi
bibi

ugonjwa

Nyaa

= mistress
= sickness
= mother
=fish

Nyai

mwayo

Nyangwa

jangwa
manyasi

Nyika
Nyota
Nyuni
Ku-ova

English

= the pumpkin plant

= a man, male
= a traveller, goer
= a demon, devil

kiu

ndege
ku-tota

-ovu

-baya

Ku-pambauka

ku-cha

Ku-pea

ku-fagia

Fepe

umeme

(Jahazi inaenda p'epe = the

= a claw, nail
= a yawn
= mangrove swamp
= grass
= thirst
= bird
= to be drenched
= bad
= to dawn
= to sweep
= lightning
vessel is drifting

by

itself,

without

anyone on board

Ku-poa

for

Ku-shawiri

Ku-sumuka
Ku-takata
Taufiki
Tiati

Tineni

,,

= to get
ku-pata
ku-taka shauri = to consult
= to uproot
ku-ng'oa
= to cry, ring, or, sound out
ku-lia
= luck, fortune
bahati

- the ground, on the ground

nyumba za watun _ (labourers' huts on a
tini,

arthi

wa shamba

shamba

-dogo

Tototo

matope

=mud

Ku-tunda

ku-toa

Twene

jeneza
tone

= to give
= a bier

toto

taki

little,

-a

small

out, take out

drop

= scraped coconut

after

ex-

traction of tui

Ufuto
Ulingo
u P aa

urambe
dungu
utosi

= white flesh of a dafu coconut

= a look-out platform
= crown of head (roof of house)

KIAMU
Kiamu

55

Kimvita

Upeto
Ure

for

Usita

,,

urefu
ndia

Utunda

,,

useja

Uwo

ala

Ku-vurundua
Yau yau

ku-tibua
vivi hivi

Yonda

nyani

Yowe
Ku-zengea

,,

English

= silver neck- chain

= length
= road, path
= a string of beads
= sheath, scabbard
= to stir up mud

mkufu

-just like that

= baboon

= a shout
kalele
ku-tafuta, angalia = to see after, look out for

Zijaya

vigae

Ku-zimba

ku-ezeka

= potsherds
= to roof (a

N.B. Sometimes the word given

Kimv. word.
IV.

The

Changes

of

is

hut).

used in addition to the

Idiom

between Kimv. and Kiam. are con-

differences in idiom

siderable.

A few instances only will be given here.

The use of mbwa and nda have already

been touched on.

in
of
the
used
be
to
seem
ordinary possessive when
place
They

emphasis is required.
For instance one might say to one's boy, Eta tumbako yangu
= " bring my tobacco," but if anybody else's boy was about to take
it one would say Tumbako ndangu (or tumbako nda mimi

mwenyewe) =

"

the tobacco is mine (not yours or his)."

probably untruthfully, that the breaking up of the
town of Kitao was due to a fowl entering the congregational mosque
on a Friday. A man rushed in after it saying, Kuku mbwangu,'
It is related,

'

and another

seized it saying,

'

Siyo mbwangu.'

The worshippers

were streaming up to the mosque and joined in the

'

out,

Ni mbwake,'

'

Ni mbwako,'

till

strife calling

at last all the male in-

habitants were engaged and a civil war ensued.

Mbwa kupoa is an expression meaning, mwenyi ku-pata.

Ule mbwa kupoa rupia mbili = he is due two rupees (or, will get
two rupees).
Taylor mentions the use of a negative perfect in the case of

simekwenda ?

KIAMU

56
This, as he says,

is

only used in the

interrogative reply.
It has the

meanimg

"
of,

Have

person sing, and as an

first

"

not

"
or,

You

say I did

?"

not

Example,

Mbona hukufika P

Answer,

Simekuya P

= You

Why

did you not come

say that I did not come

(but I did come).

There is a difference in pronunciation of the far demonstratives,

which has already been mentioned, viz. ule, wa!6, etc. in place of
Stress is laid on this accentuation because by its
ytile, wale.
means one can detect a native from the Amu group if one hears him
say but one word,

if

that word

is

one of these

far demonstratives.

Talking of anything distant, either in point of place or time, an

e is added to the far demon., viz. ulee, walee, ilee, etc. The accent
remains as shown.

The word -pya Kimv.

is

one syllable and takes the accent on

"

the syllable before, viz. mkate mpya = a new loaf."

In Kiam. however -pya is pronounced as two syllables, taking
the accent on the first, and must thus be spelt -pia to bring the
accent right,

viz.

ziatu zipia = "new sandals."

The following abbreviations are used

= his aunt
Shangalize for shangazi yake
=
= moja wapo (Kimv.) one of them
Moyali
= that matter
Yambole for yambo lile

mwanawe

Mwane

=his child (the

waane

but

is

pi.

not

wane)

Abb. with hata,

Hatasa from hata sasa

Chakula tayari hatasa
Hatakafa

= till now (or, not yet).

= is food not ready after
= until he died.

all this

while

Kitu hiki hufa iye P = how is this thing sold ? (how much?)
Ndio za nini P = what do you say yes for ? (when someone
Kasidi yake =

Ndoo

says,

yes he has done something, and has not)

purposely ; his intention (was) ; on purpose. (Takes
the place of makusudi, Kimv.)

(= come),

Example,

when not used by

itself loses

Ndo wewe = come

you.

one

o.

57

KIAMIT

Wametuteza shere =

they have played a trick on

fun of us

us, are

making

Hapana katu = there is none whatever (in any shape or form).

Katu means much the same as kabisa but is more forcible.
When great emphasis is laid on kabisa the accent is placed
the last syllable which

is

jerked out by

on

itself.

s& = the town has been utterly and com-

Mui umeharibika k&bi

pletely ruined.
Si-isi

="

do not know

"
;

from a verb ku-isa which

is

seldom

heard, in Kiam., in anything but the negative present, viz. haisi,

"
huisi, haniisi = he does not know, you do not know, he does not

know

(recognize) me."

Ku-yua
Kulala

used ordinarily for all other tenses.

fudifudi = to lie face downwards.

is

kwa kuama = kulala

Pulifuli has been confounded with fudifudi by several writers.

Its

meaning

quite different.

is

= things in plenty (and therefore cheap)

= people in crowds, coming and going (and thus
want of privacy, ghasia).
Kwa lina is used for the usual palikuwa = " once upon a time."
Kwa lina mtu = alikuwako (or alikuwapo) mtu.

Zitu

fulifuli

Watu

fulifuli

There is an abbreviation meaning "both,

beings.

all

three," etc. of animate

Wowawili = both, all two (persons)

Wowatatu = all three (persons).

Mwana adamu is used in place of the usual bin adamu = " son
of

Adam, human

Mwida

is

being."
occasionally used in place of

muda

for

a space of

time.

To such

"
is

"Were you

able to read my letter?"

me ? " Kwanni ?
"
used as an affirmative reply meaning,
Why not ? Of course

Can you do
can

(or,

questions as:
this

work 1

"

"

Will you come with

will)."

Example,

Unaweza kuzengea mashairi ninunue P = Will you

some poetry for me to buy 1
Answer,

Kwanni

Why not ?

Of course

I will.

look out for

KIAMU

58

Ni mtu mzima sana = he is a very old man.

Yau yau is used in place of vivi hivi or vivyo
Ufanye yau yau = do

Hiyau

for hivi, or

(it)

hivyo.

just like that.

hivyo.

Mtu hiyau = a man

like that (of that sort)

Sitaki kazi hiyau =

do not want this soft of behaviour

Mtu mvivu hiyau

Sasa hiyau

Kijana
"a youth"

is

so

for

a man as lazy as he is
sasa hivi = just now, now at once.

generally used of a male child

much as in Kimv.

and does not mean

Amepata kijana = he has got a son (and heir).

Hamkuliwa and hitwa are used in place of the Kimv. akaitwa
(jina lake).

Example,

Kwa lina mtu hamkuliwa fulani,

for

Palikuwa mtu jina lake

man called so

aliitwa fulani = once upon a time there was a

and

Na

so.

is

largely used in both

Kimv. and

this dialect in the sense

of "also (or) too."

Examples,

Nipa chai eta na mkate = give me some tea and bring bread
Akatukua nguo akatunda na reale khamsini = and he
clothes and took out also

also.

took

fifty dollars

Kwanni kupenda ukowa usipende

na_

kilichomo ukowani P

= why do you like the lamp chimney and do not like

chimney too? (The light inside is the
reason for having a lamp and the chimney is only an adjunct)
Hitieri yako is used in Kiam. where shauri lako, or upendavyo
"
it is as you wish, I leave
mwenyewe, would be used in Kimv.
(Proverb)

what

it

to you,

is

inside the

your business, as you please,

it is

it is for

you to say."

(Hitieri -hitiari.)

Mtu mrepana = a
Bora ana
care

(lit.

This

is

health
is

big, well built, person.

used

is best,

for

the

Kimv. bora azima = never mind,

don't

first

consideration).
generally used as a reply to some taunt.

Kupa tambuu = to
to the Eng.

"

give (a piece of) tambuu, i.e. to tip (equivalent

to give the price of a drink ").

KIPATE

the dialect of the town of Pate in the island

and by the Arabs Bata.
Practically all that has been said of Kiam. with regard to
changes of letters, grammar, vocabulary and idiom stands good for
Kipate, with a few further changes and a few exceptions.
9.

Kipate

is

called by us Patta

Changes of Letters

I.

There are only two important changes of

Z in Kiam. always changes to th.
(i)
as th in "this

The

"

and

letter j does

is

letters in this dialect.

This th

is

pronounced

written in Swahili characters with the letter >.

not occur.

Examples,

Kiamu
baraza

= verandah, audience

Mathu

mazu

= bananas

Thibafti

zibafti

= games

Kipate

Baratha

for

,,

of kibafti

many
Thijana

Thiondowe
Thita
Thitete

Thiwe
Uthia

,,

(i.e.

guessing

articles are held in the

= youths
zijana
ziondowe = riddles
= war, strife
zita
= mongooses
zitete
= grindstones
ziwe
= annoyance.
uzia

This last word by pure coincidence returns to

(N.B.

how
hand

its

Kimv.

form.)

The rule is the same for every word, whether of Bantu or

Arab origin, and whether the z is prefix, infix, suffix or particle.
There
(ii)

is

no use then

in

Kiam.

of

in multiplying examples.

is

occasionally softened to

hard and fast rule like the

last

and appears

but this

is

not a

to differ with individuals.

Some words are pronounced sometimes with g and sometimes with j.

The following words, however, appear to be always pronounced
with

j.

Examples,
Jithani (from jitha

for giza)

= a quarter
(lit.

Ku-pija
Ku-rejea

Shemeji

for

in the

ku-piga
ku-regea

-to
-to

shemegi

-brother-in-law.

Also, pijana, rejeza.

town of Pate

in the darkness)

beat, strike

return

KIPATE

60

letters occur in the

Other changes of

words below

Binamu for binami = cousin

= this (house), these (trees)
hini
Hinu
- an egg
I (pi. mai)
yai
= above
Iu
yuu
=
dead of night
makungi
Makungu
= horn of mgambo
mbiu
Mbia
mfaume = sultan, a chief
Mfalurae
= to toddle (of a child)
tatetate
Tatatata
ku-tawali = to reign.
Ku-tawala
(N.B.

This last word returns to

Ufito

for

ufuto

-witi

-biti

Ku-wiva

ku-viva

its

Kiung. form.)

= white flesh of a dafu

= unripe, green
= to ripen.

two vowels occur together of which the first is i or o there

between them.
a tendency to place y or
This is occasionally also done in Kiam. and very frequently

When

is

occurs in poetry.

Examples,

Aingiye

for

aingie = he must enter

ukoa =

Ukowa

II.

chimney, cylinder.

Changes of

Grammar

The grammar is practically the same as in Kiam.

There appears to be a slight difference in the neg. future which
takes the particle -te- in place of -to-, although the latter is
understood in Pate.
Negative Future.
Site-

HuteHateHatute-

HamteHawate-

ri

you
he

pata =

we
-

ye

they

Haute-

it

etc.

etc.

shall not get.

KIPATE.

III.

Most

KISHELA

61

Changes of Vocabulary

Kiamu hold good

of the words under this heading in

in

Kipate.

few local words are also used in Pate such as

Kiamu

Kipate

kata

= haste, bustle
= empty coconut shell
= a bier
= a mash
= inside wall screening
choo
= war, strife
= departed, lamented
= ladle (of half coconut)

ndia imezibwa

= the way

Ngumi

nyangumi

Pwayi

into

= a whale
= a creek, drying

Fathaa
Kifuvu

for

haraka
kifuu
tusi

Kilili

Kimboe

kipitu

Kistahali

kisitiri

Kondo

zita

Mahua
Mwiko wa kifuvu

marehemu

Ndia imethiwanai
imethiwa J\

,,
"

is

blocked

at low

tide

Ku-usha

ku-aua (nathiri) =

(nathiri)

to bring a

vow

conclusion,

to

con-

or

summation
=

usutu

Ushitu

(of

strips

miaa)

for

sewing mats, roping

for

Utuku

IV.

Two

soko

Changes of Idiom

idiomatic expressions follow

Kitovu cha mui = the hub (centre) of the town

Kutanga konda = to be about to marry (lit. to
10.

is

stir

up

strife).

the dialect of the town of Shela, south of

Amu.

the breaking up of the various old towns on Manda island,

Manda, Taka and Kitao, many of the people took refuge in

On
viz.

Kishela

kitanda

bazaar.

Amu.

KISHELA

62

After a while they were allowed to found a town of their own, so

that they might all live together instead of being scattered, as they

were in the large town of Amu.

This was the origin of the town of Shela.
The dialect, with a few small exceptions,

is

just half

way

between that of Amu and that of Pate.

This is exactly as one might have expected from the old
viz. the town of
geographical position of most of its original stock,

Manda.

and

III.

Changes

of Letters

and Vocabulary

The vocabulary is practically the same as that

The th of Pate is often used in place of z.
The j of Pate in place of g is not used.

When
They

Pate words

from Amu, Kishela

may

follow either.

however follow Kipate.

chiefly

Examples.

differ

of Kiam.

Iu and mfalume

are used in place of

yuu and

mfaume.
There are a few words however which differ slightly from both.
The word mahali is used for "place."

word we have
we have now come back to the same word as that used in
the southernmost and farthest dialect touched on, Kimgao.
It is curious that, after all the variations in this

met

with,

Another interesting feature

-akwe

is

This

is

that the possessive termination

used.

is

easily

accounted for as

it

would appear that

this

was the

old form of the possessive for the third person sing.

This has died out in most places presumably the town
Manda, the oldest in the neighbourhood, made use of this form.
;

of

The Manda people, although remaining many years in Ainu,

must have kept very much to themselves for, directly they received
permission, they moved out in a body to Shela.
Probably the Amu people either did not use this form or had
already dropped

it.

The Manda people would have cherished little dialectic differences of this sort as distinguishing them from the Amu people and
stamping them as being more aristocratic.

63

KISIU

KISHELA.
Examples,

= his stick
Simbo lakwe
Nyumba ndakwe = the house is his
Pa mahali pakwe = in his (or its) place.
Of other

little

distinctions

Chamba

is

Kama
Huyu
Nyi

= if, though
=
(Kiam.) like, as
snte (Kiam.) = we all
hoyo (Kiam.) = this (person).

last three it will be observed return to the

Kimv. form.

used as an abbreviation for nyinyi in address as

is

Ndo

nyi wawili = come you

II.

for

kwamba
kana

for

Sote

These

used for

Changes of

Grammar

There appears to be no marked changes of grammar.

Kiam. hold good.
IV.

differing

Amu,

from the latter

it

Those given

Changes of Idiom

There are no doubt a few

intercourse with

two.

is

local idioms in use but,

from

its

unlikely that Shela possesses

daily

many

dialect.

11.
Kisiu is the dialect of the town of Siu.
Both town and dialect stand half way between Pate and Faza.

It bears

a strong resemblance to the Bajun group but

to the Amu group.

its

idioms

and grammar belong more

I.

These are similar to

It

and Pate.
j

observed above.

no use in giving more examples of these changes of

as what has been said for Pate can be referred to.
Any
is

changes in
ki- class,

Amu

except the zi- for the concord of the plural of the

thi-, hold good save only when

which of course becomes

they clash with what

all

Amu

thus has the Pate th and

There
letters

Changes of Letters

is

said for Pate.

In addition to these the Bajun

cerebral t's are changed to ch.

ch

is

used.

That

is

to say that

KISIU

64

N.B.
t's

Do

not confuse with Kiung. in which

it is

only the dental

which turn to eh.

Examples,

Ku-ehambua
Ku-chukana
Ku-chuma
Chutakwenda

for

Mchu
Mchumbwi
Wachu

ku-tambua
ku-tukana
ku-tuma
tutakwenda

mtu
mtumbwi
watu

to recognize

= to abuse
= to send
= we will go
= a man, person
= a canoe
= people.

For this change however see the next dialect.

Words like nyumba follow Kipate and not Kitikuu.
brought in, as in Kitikuu, in such words as kitambaa.
Changes of

II.

R is not

Grammar

The grammar is the same as in Kipate.

The tenses to be described in Kitikuu are not used.
Nouns of the ma- class follow the usual rules and not those

for

Kitikuu to be described hereafter.

III.

Changes of Vocabulary

There appear to be a considerable amount of

I have only been able to collect two or three.

local

words of

which

Examples,
Kisiu

Kipate

Athani

Foko

(fr.

for

Ar.

Jy)

,,

athana

thayidi ya = more than

Gubu

nyika

Kisitiri (like Kiam.)

kistahali

Marahanm
Mwendio

mahua
mwen^o

Ku-oa
Pakuwathini

,,

= muezzin

ku-oza

= grass
= interior wall of choo
= late lamented
= a distance
= to rot

=minara

from

muezzin

Ku-pija tumata

ku-toma

Toma

nt'a

Usichu

ushitu
ku-oa

Ku-wowa

is

= to stab
= a point
= strips of miaa
= to marry.

which

the

called

for mats, etc.

KISIU.

65

Changes of Idiom

IV.

The

KITIKUU

following are two Siu proverbs with their

Kiamu

equi-

valents.

Kisiu.

Kiam.

Toma kwa toma hathitomani.

Nt'a kwa nt'a hazitomani.

Two sharp points cannot stab one another. (You

English.
cannot prick the point of one needle with that of another, they only
slip past one another.)
This

is

said of two strong

each other.

The meaning

is

men or strong tribes who fall out with

that neither will get the better.

Ndovu mbili thikipambana liumiao ni gubu.

Ndovu wawili wakisongana ziumiazo ni nyika.
When two elephants jostle against one another that
English.
Kisiu.

Kiam.
which

is

hurt

is

the grass.
is that when two great

The meaning

men

quarrel,

it is

wont to

man

or dependent who suffers.

Notice the agreement of the concords with

be some small

ndovu which

follows

treated as the n- class

Kimgao

in

concords, not only with the adjective but also with the

its

exactly, viz. that

ndovu

that of

is

pronominal prefix of the verb.

-akwe is used in Kisiu, as in Kishela, for the possessive, in place
of -ake.

Kitikuu

12.
of

is

the language of Rasini and the mainland north

Amu.
As mentioned before there are several local
The remarks below apply more especially to

or the

variations.

the dialect of Rasini,

town of Faza or Paza.

I.

The

cerebral

t,

Changes of Letters

whether aspirated or not, changes to ch.

Examples,

Chachu
Ku-chafuna

Ku-chambua
Ku-chandika
s.

for
,,

= three
ku-tafuna = to chew
ku-tambua = to recognize
ku-tandika = to spread out
tatu

KITIKUU

66

Changa

KITIKUU

II.

The -ndo-

Changes of

67

Grammar

This takes the place of the perfect in -me-

tense.

the latter not being used.

Perfect,

'Ndokufa

have died

Undokufa = thou hast died

= he has died
Andokufa
Chundokufa = we have died
Mundokufa = you have died
Wandokufa - they have died.
In place of the -kito- tense of Kiam. -kitowaku-

is

used.

Example,

Kitowakupacha
The

kitopata =

for

possessive termination

-akwe

is

if I

do not

get.

used as in Siu in place of

-ake.

Chu-

takes the place of tu- as the pronominal prefix for

person plural

viz.

ehutapaeha
The

for

tutapata = we

possessive termination

twende zechu

shall get.

-echu takes the place of -etu

twende zetu = let

for

ma-

The singular of the

other dialects, the prefix

i-

viz.

class has, instead of

ma-

which changes to

no

prefix, like

in the plural.

= a dhow
= a rudder
(pi. mashikio)
= foot, leg
Iguu (pi. magim)
= rump
Ichako (pi. machako)
Ichiunbo (pi. machumbo) = stomach

Idau

(pi.

madau)

Ishikio

Idowe
Ifuthi

Ithiva

Examples,

(pi.

(pi.
(pi.

madowe)
mafuthi)
mathiva)

= claw, nail
= shoulder
= milk.

of the n- class change n- to

us (two) be going.

Examples,

Some nouns

first

i-.

Iti for

nti = country

Isi

nsi-fish.

52

KITIKUU

68
Or
i-

if

or u-

the noun does not commence with n- but

may

be prefixed.

Examples,

Imbwa
Ipaa

Usimbo

for
,,

mbwa = a dog
paa

=a

roof

is

of the n- class

69

KITIKUU

Thipepeo

for

= miaafestoons on bow-

zipepo

mtepe

sprit of

Ku-toma
Uchi

ku-va
mti

(isi)

Mchi

(N.B.

(pi.

ushi

nyusi)

usutu

(pi.

pole

= a spoon
= an eyebrow
= strips of

for kijiko

Usichu
Usuni

= to fish
= a stick,

(Kit.) only means a growing tree.)

Ukombe
Usi

(nsi)

matting
ready to sew
= sand fly

usubi

suni)

Uvavu (pi. mbavu)

Uvueha na chembe

,,

Ku-vaka

= rib
ubavu
uta na chembe = bow and

Ku-vowa
Yuva

arrow

= to marry
= to rot
= the sun.

ku-oa
ku-oza

yua

Changes of Idiom

IV.

The changes of idiom are very great, but want of time has
compelled one to abandon this dialect before having fairly started.
The expressions are quite different from those in any of the
dialects given before.

Examples of the -ndo- tense are

= the (thing) has gone bad

'ndovaka fulani = I have married so and so
Yuva lindokutwa = the sun has set
Yuva lindotoka = the sun has risen
Yuva lindopaa = the sun is climbing up (the

Kindovowa

Hiyao and yau yau

of

Amu

are not used.

heavens).

few old expres-

sions survive in Kitikuu which are almost Kingovi.

Examples,

Mkmditha

j^^

>

Kwekuyu kaokuya =

ya kimbuya - neap

tides (or, rather the

lowest day of the neap tide)

to eat (grain) out of a fold in the clothes.

The people were unable

to explain the derivation or parts of these

two words.
1

Moke ndeza means

of lowest tide

they stop at

it is

of

home and

the cooking over the fire of the n^eza fish. On the day
for the fishermen to go out and cast their nets so

no use

cure their fish.

BANADIR DIALECTS.

70

All boats coming from Rasini,

called

viz.

KINGOVI
string-tied,

are elsewhere

mtepe.

itself however it is only those with the camel-necked

which
are called mtepe, while the others are called idau.
prows
Parts of these boats not already referred to are

In Rasini

Mchwana = the block just

Mtindikani

in front of the

mast to which the lower

part of the latter is lashed.

= cross beam passing between the

mchwana

mast and resting on the bulwarks either

13.

and the
side.

the Banadir Coast.

These bear a rebut apparently possess a very different
Words in Kitikuu which are entirely different from

The Dialects

of

semblance to Kitikuu

vocabulary.
those of Kiam. are likely to occur also in similar forms in these
dialects.

Example,

Shembee

Some words however

(Kit.)

= kishembere (Banadir) -a

knife.

pass almost unchanged through a series of

dialects.

Example, Magadi

= potash
(Banadir)
14.

for

is

Kingazija

(Kiung.) = magathi
mixing with snuff.

(Kiam.) =

magatho

the language of the Comoros.

It is alleged
Bajun Kiswahili and is generally

to bear a great resemblance to

included in the Swahili group.

15.
Kingovi (or Kingozi as it is called in Kiung. and Kimv.) is
the ancient language of this coast.
Natives talk of words in old Swahili as "Kikae" or "the old

language."

Such words are

Ku-ima
Ku-uza

Uwao
Ng'andu
-akwe
Ku-soto

for

ku-simama
ku-uliza

ubao
thahabu
-ake
ku-shoto.

Kingovi is a language much older than Kikae.

Words, phrases and constructions occur in old poetry, but the
language itself is practically lost.

KINYUME

KINGOVI.
It contains

71

an almost entirely different vocabulary and different

grammatical forms.
There are said to be a few people who are still able to talk this
language, it having been carefully handed down, however I have
been unable to find anyone.

am

told that so different

the language to ordinary Swahili,

is unable to under-

is

that a well-educated and well-read Swahili

stand

it.

Appended is a piece of poetry (p. 73), of which the MS. from

which the writer's own copy was made was he thinks dated about one
hundred years ago I underline the words I believe to be Kingovi.
This is quite easy and simple as compared with poetry of several
;

hundred years old.

Lastly, a word on the

Kinyume is
and prefixing

fanciful languages.
attained by cutting off the last syllable of every word

it.

Example, Nataka kiti niketi would be

in

Kinyume kanata

tiki tinike.

a purely fanciful or code language.

Occasionally single words of Kinyume are thrown into a piece of
poetry to fulfil the exigences of metre or rhyme, or to make it less
It is

easy of comprehension.
This latter, it would appear,

is

the chief feature of Swahili

poetry.

For there are such multitudes of rhyming words that there

would be nothing in the poet's art if he were not able to mystify his
public.

So any old or

difficult

word he can discover he

careful to

is

string in.

Here

is

an example of a Kinyume word,

viz.

pani

(for

nipa)

being thrown into a verse.

"

Pani

kiti nikelete

kusimama kalikwenda.

Na

farasi kupijuati si kuwelekwa na punda.

Tandiko la mjakazi si la ungwana kanda.

Na mkate wa kimanda

si

kitumbua cha Mafia."

Translation,

"Give me a chair

to sit on, standing

is

as

if

was

still

walking.

And

falling

from a horse

by a donkey.

is

not (so good as) being carried

KIALABI

72

The soft couch of a

mat of a freeman.

slave

And manda

not (so good as) Mafia chupaties."

bread

is

is

not (so good as) the rough

There are a number of code languages made by

some particular sound to each syllable.

Kialabi.
suffixing

Each of these possesses a name of

its

The explanation of one will suffice

Kialabi is made by suffixing -kiri

to explain

own.

them

all.

to each syllable.

Example,
Kikiri takiri bukiri ehakiri ngukiri kikiri mekiri kwikiri
shakiri,

which means

Kitabu changu kimekwisha.

Translation,

My

book

is

finished.

Praise be to Allah.

APPENDIX
EXAMPLE OF KINGOVI WORDS
THE INKISHAFI, A Northern
N.B.

Words

OLD POETRY

IN

Version

(Lamu

?)

believed to be of Kingovi are underlined.

N.B. A. translation, or a synonym, is given in the footnotes of every

word which is not to be found in the usual Swahili Dictionaries.
N.B.
8.

are usually divided

ina nikite Inkishafi

by a semicolon.

1
nikapange lulu kula tarafi
4
3
kiza cha thunubi kinipukiye

Tatunga kifungo kwa kukisafi

Na
9.

The strophes

nuru na mianga itathalali 7

8
Nambao kwamba ataamali iwe toba yak we aitubiye.
Kim a ake 9 kwisa dibaji yangu penda kuonya na moyo wangu
Kitamsi 5 kiza cha ujuhali 6

10.

Utwetwe na hawa ya ulimwengu

11.

Moyo wangu

nini

huzundukani

Hunelezi nami kalibaini

12.

Moyo wangu nini

13

14.

Raj ami

10

11

zimughuriye

likughuriyelo ni yambo gani

liwapo na sura nisikataye.

hu'itabiri

15
Huyui dunia ina ghururi

13.

hila za

12

14

twambe, u mwelevu wakukhitari

ndia za tatasi 16 huzandamaye

Hunu ulimwengu bahari tesi 17 una matumbawe na mangi masi, 18

;

mwasi 20

Aurakibuo 19 jua

ni

Ni kama kisima

kisicho

kwa kula hasara

ombe 21

chenyi

uhasiriye.

mta 22 paa 23 mwana wa

ng'ombe,
15.

Endao kwegema humta 22 pembe ;

Au wenga 25 vumbi la mwangaza

Thunubi =thambi.

Kinipukiye

(?),

fr.

kw-epuka
fr.

16

Tatasi = matata.

17

Tesi = -kali.

18

Masi=mashaza.

19

Aurakibuo,

20

M wasi = adui.

21

Ombe = wall round mouth

(?).

Kitamsi=kiovu.

UjuhaU = uwinga,

JL^..

Ku-tathalali

Ku-taamali=ku-zingatia.

Kimaake = kisa.

23

Rajami = the devil Iblis.

Ku-ghuri=ku-hadaa.

24

Ku-zunqlukani = to awake.
Nini ? = una nni ?

26

11

12

18

^&

10

wakati

Mwenda kulegema akilisoza; asione kitu ukishishiye 26

Tarafi = nta.
u Kwi'tabiri=ku-taamali.
= revealed, dis- is Ghururi = deceit?
Inkishafi =
closed.

24
kunwa maiye.
wa yua likitumbuza

asipate katu

to shine, brighten up.

22

25

fr.

^^s>j

= he

rode.

of a well.

Ku-ta=kutonga.
Paa=utosi.
Katu=kabisa.
Ku-enga=ku-angalia.
Kushisha = causative of shika.

VERSION

N.

Au

2
1
enga metu limetukapo ; wakati wa yua lilinganapo
kayakimbilia akayaMwenyi nyota kamba ni mai yapo

16.

twaye.

Chenda akaona mwako wa yua mai alotaka akayatoa

4
3
yambo ila shakawa; ikawa mayuto yasimsiye
Khasaisi 5 zote na matakwao ; shida na shakawa likupeteo
Ni dunia ii 6 uipendao yenyi thila na makataye 7

17.

Asifidi
18.

Dunia

19.

ni jifa

Ihali gani

Kima

20.

ikaribu; haupendi

si

ewe labibu

ina ila

ilio

10

11

kuwania

mtu

nambwa
13

mbovu

mno kuta kiwavu 15

kilabu 9

12

hutukiza[i]ye.

ungi welevu

ulikithiriye

ila

16
hupa watu ngea ikithiriye.
17
Wangapi dunia waipeteo; wakatalathathi kwa shani lao
Ikawa sumbuko kwa mazingao [wajkaanguka zanda waziumiye.

Ikalifu
21.

14

22.

Tandi 18 la mauti likiwakuta; wakauma zanda wakiiyuta

Na dunia yao ikawasuta 19 ichamba safari muniukiye 20
Ichamba hayani 21 ndio safari yakomele tena ya kuu'siri 22
28
na takaburi 24
mutendele 25 kwangu nishuBithaa' ya ndeo
.

23.

hudiye.
24.

Mvi 26 wa manaya 27 ukiwafuma na kutubwikiya 28 katika nyama

Pasiwe mwatami 29 mwenyi kwatama au muya nena yalikuwaye.
Wakazisalimu 30 'umri zao hadimu 31 lathati 82 akenda nao
;

25.

Pasi mkohozi akohowao

1

3
4

au mwenyi kwenda

Metu = a mirage.
Ku-etuka= to shine.

17

Ku-fidi=ku-pata.

18

Yasimsiye = yasimwishUie.

19

Khasaisi,

fr.

^-

Ar.

was

22

8il=uii.

Makataye = evil happenings, misfortune.

10

Kilabu,

Labibu,

fr.

fr.

^JL^ = a dog.
Ar. ^^J = intelligent,

Ku-wania=ku-telea.

Nambwa=na mbwa.

13

Ku-kithiri=to

be

much,

X&*'
15
1

Ikalifu,

to

Hayani = pi. of haya

Ku-'usiri=to delay by the way.
Ndeo = swollen headedness.
!

kiburi = pride.

Takaburi,

Mutendele = old Swahili

fr.

for

mume-

tenda.

* Mvi-chembe.
27

Manaya = mauti.

28

Kutubwikia=to sink into.

Mwa-tami = fr. ku-atama=to gape,
the mouth
P
Ku salimu=ku koma

29

'

fr.

Ar.

30

kali.

Kiwavu =mbavu.
Ngea=chele = epuka.

sweet,

Tandi = tanzi.
Ku-suta = ku-fukuza.
fr> k^-euka.

25

si
fr.

find

in.

24

Ar.

12

11

23

Jifa=jumbi.

glfted '
11

20
21

Ku-talathatM = to
take pleasure

characteristic of.

asirithiye.

Hadimu = a

breaker,

vastator.
32

Lathati =raha=laza.

spoiler,

de-

26.

Zituko zingapo hutanabahi ukanabihika 1 hukunabihi 1

Utaata
27.

76

VERSION

N.

lini

ewe

Hiki

safihi

yao

nambia ukomo

kievu 3

moyo

changu

hukengeukii

niusikiye.

nusuha 5

yangu.

Huza akhirayo kwa ulimwengu

28. Nisikia sana

nikwambiapo

Haiziwiliki izimikapo; saa

29.

Au

30.

Ewe moyo enda

ya kuliwa bangu ukhitariye.

ruhu 7 enga taa katika pepo,

moya hwona

izimishiye.

8
ulio weuni katika tuka 9
enga moto kuroromeka
9
Pakashuka wingu katika shaka ; ikawa kuzima usiviviye 10
;

yake hela tafathali unabihike

Sheitani rajimi asikuteke kesho kakuona kuwa kamaye 13
Hunu ulimwengu utakao yemale 14 nilipe upendeyao ;
;

31.

12

11

sijida

Hauna dawamu 15 hudumu 16 nao umilikishwapo wautendaye.

Hakuwa mtume Suleimani maliki wa isi 17 na ajinani 18 ?
;

32.

19
20
ikiwa mgine wamtendaye.
Ulimfutuye ukamukhini
Watoto wangapi uwaweneo 21 ikawa yakini kupona kwao
;

33.

Sasa

nyumba

zati

22

ziwatwetweo

luhudi 23

katika

iwafun-

diye.

34.

Uwene 24 wangapi watu wakwasi walowakiwaa kama shamsi 25

Wamuluku 26 zana 27 za adhurusi 28 thahabu na fetha wahi;

29

ziniye
35.

?
30

Malimwengu yote yawatii'le

Wachenenda zita thao thilele 32

Ku-nabihi
amka.
Safihi, fr.

= ku-amsha

and

4^, = foolishness,

ku-

ignor-

16

Hudumu,

17

isi=viumbe.

is

Ajinani =majini (jins).

Ku-futu = ku-kosa.

19

ance.

na dunia yao iwaokele 31

mato mafumbizi wayafumbiye.
fr.

Kievu =kidevu.

Hukengeukii = hukunigeukii.

21

Nusuha = entreaties.
Kuliwa bangu =ku-hadaa.
Ruhu=roho.
Ku-roromeka=ku-waka.
Tuka =mashaka(yamti)= branches,

22

Zati = za tiati.

23

Luhudi =ufuko = the narrow trench

dug to receive the body after the

24

Uwene = -e-e

:>

G
7
8

10
11

Ku-viva=ku-iva.
Sijida

prayer,

Praver
Hela = haya

20

prostration

in

27

haya

29

28

12

(enda)

not

so

(shame).
is

15

rest of the grave

25

foliage.

Kamaye = kama yeye.

Yemale = yambo lema

Dawamu = dayima,

si

lile.

milele.

Ku-khini=ku-hini=ku-iza.
Uwaweneo = umezoona.

tense

is

finished.

fr.

ku-ona.

Ar.

.pta0^=jua.
wamuluku = those who possessed.
Zana=akiba.
Adhurusi = pembe za ndovu
Shamsi,

fr.

Ku-hizini = to store up.

Yawatii'le = yawatii'ye.
K u-oka = ku-sitawi.

32 f r .

ku -lala

(-e-e tense).

N.

VERSION

zao

shingo;

76

Wakimia 1 mbinu na

36.

Wakaapo

pote
zao

Nyumba

37.

sufuri

na nyurna na

mbele

ill

jamu wawatandiye.
kwa taa za kowa na

za

miyongo

zitengo ; a'sikari
6
zikinawiri

ill

mbake 5

Masiku 8 ya kele kama nahari 9 haiba na jaha iwazingiye.

Wapambiye sini ya kuteua na kula kikombe kinakishiwa
Kati watizii 10 kuzi za kowa katika mapambo yanawiriye 8
;

39.

11

Zango za mapambo kwa taanusi

mkwasi
13
12
zi
za msaji na abunusi
Zali

38.

tele sufufu

Kumbi

40.

Kwa

msana

za

kele

18

15

naapa kwa

Mungu Mola

14

zisitawiye.

16

ill

za waja

19

na za masituru 17 zikiterema
kuvuma
na za hudama 20
furaha na nyemi 21
;

22

zishitadiye

41. Pindi walalapo

kwa

masindizi

walina wakande nawa pepezi

wakitumbuiza wasinyamaye.
Na wake wapambe
23
24
kukhitari
mema
maao
Kwa
yuu la zitanda na majodori
ya
25
kwa kazi za pote wanakiNa mito kuwili ya akhadhari
waturnbuizi

42.

shiye.

Misutu 26 mipindi wakipindiwa yuu la farasha kufunikiwa

27
28
29
Maji ya marashi wakikukiwa ; 'itiri na kaa waipashiye *.
31
32
wakanakiliwa ili safari
44. Ukwasi ungapo na tafaburi
33
Washukiye nyumba za makaburi mtanga na fusi ziwafu43.

siye.

Ku-mia=to wave=ku-punga.
Miyongo

(pi.

crowd, of
3

of

fr.

mwongo), a group,

1 to 10 persons.

Kitengo = baraza of people other

than the sultan.

17

Situru= cloister.

18

Kele = kelele.

19

Waja = watu.
Hudama = watumwa.
Nyemi = furaha kuu.

20
21

22

Ku-shitadi=ku-zidi.
Mao = malalo.

Jamil =wengi.

Mbake = mpia.

Ku-nawiri=ku-ng'ara.

24

Majodori =magodoro.

Sufuri = shaba.

25

Akliadhari

Masiku, pi. of usiku.

Nahari = mtana, fr. Ar

26

Misutu = visutu vikuu

27

Ku-kukiwa = ku-inikiwa.

8
9

10 fr.

ku-tia

23

^ \^

tense) (?).
Ku-taanusi= to be comfortable.

28

(-zii

'Itiri

Ar.

fr.

= green.

= incense.

Kaa=sandaU.

12

14

Zali~=

zango zile.
Abunusi = mpingo = ebony.
Sufufu

of safu)
indoors.

(pi.

= rows,

!1

ranks.

15

Msana =

ic

Ku-vtuna (with voices, understood).

32

&

fr lU-paka.
Tafahuri = f r.
-

^9

Ku-nakila=ku-gura = ku-hama.
Fusi=kivumbi.

VERSION

N.

Sasa walikee 1

45.

moya

shubiri

Ikawa miwili kutaathari

huwatulika 6

46. Zitefute zao

77

;
pasipo zulia wala jodori
dhiki 4 za zionda 5 ziwakusiye.

wasakha 7 na damu huwaitika 8

Pua na makanwa bomb we 9 hutoka haiba na sura zigeushiye.

10
12
11
na kuwatafuna zao jisadi 18
Wasiriye kuwa kula kwa dudi
Na mta 14 na tungu huwafisidi majoka na pili 15 wawatatiye.
16
17
makinda 18 ya popo iu
Nyumba zao mbake ziwele tame
;

47.

>

49.

wengeme

19

Husikii hisi 20 wala

ukeme 21 zitanda matandu 22 walitandiye.

Madaka ya nyumba ya zisahani sasa walaliye wana wa nyuni
Buum 23 hukoroma kati nyumbani zisiji 24 na koti 25 waikaliye.
26
Wanawazipungu wapendezango; nawanawa ndiwahumia shingo
27
28
29
mbawa
ziku
na
zitati
Wakipija
matungo tungo
waliwashiye
kati
zao
huvuma
mende
kumbi
za
msana
zalia
Nyumba

51.

52.

50.

30

ng'ende

makumbi yande 31 kuwa mazibala 32 yalisiriye 33

Ziwanda za nyumba ziwele 34 mwitu; enga matuka na matukutu 35
36
Milango ya ndia yatisha mtu kwa kete na kiza kilifundiye
37
Kwamba usadiki kamba mbuwongo
enda nyumba zao uzinde
Yalingie vumbi

53.

::8

54.

shingo

Ukita h[w]itikwi

fr.

ila ni

mwango

39

22

ku-kaa.

Shubiri = the span of

the fingers
(the measurement of the ufuko).
Ku-taathari = ku-oza.

sauti

23
24

25

Dhiki = u tungu.

ya waja

40

41

itindishiye

Matandu = cob- webs.

Bumu=owl.
Kisiji

=a

Koti = a

small bird.
bird

green

which

eats

dates.
2(5

Zion<Ja=zidon<Ja.

Ku-mia=to nod.

Ku-tulika=ku-tiririka.

27

Kiku = adove.

Wasakha = pus,

28

Kitati = a very small bird.

matter.

ku-waka= to

Ku-itika=ku-yeyuka.

29 fr.

Bombwe = maggot.

30

Ng'ende = nyenzi.

Ku-siri=ku-wa.
Kula'= chakula.

31

Yande = yande.

32

Dudi=mayongoo.

33

Jisadi=ziwiliwili.

34

Mazibala =yaa= dust, dung.

See note 10 above.
See note 16 above.
Matukutu = tuka kuu.
Ku-funda = to shut in (as in ma-

build.

Mta=mchwa.

35

= piri = puff-adder.
Ziwele = zimekuwa.
Tame = -gofu.

36

37

Mbuwongo = mbwa uongo.

Makinda =zij ana.

fr. ku-angama.

38

Ku-zinda=to

39

Mwango = echo.

40

Waja^watu.

Pili

wingu yamefungana).

Hisi = sauti.

Ukeme = matayo and mawizilio,

maziwio.

or,

41

= to

turn.

be cut short.

78

N.

55.

Moyo huyatasa kimabihika

58.

zituko zingapo huya'ithika

naona kwa haya yafuatiye.

ya kupulika
5
Sasa moyo pako tauza nawe nelezato sana nami nelewe
Wa wapi wazazi wakuzaawe; nambia walipo kawamkiye.
U wapi Ali bin Nasiri na muamu wake Abu Bakari
6
Mwenyi 'Idarusi na Mohodhari wendelepi kuwe mbonya ndiaye.

Hata masikizi
56.

VERSION

57.

Mimi nakvvambia
Zisizo

60.

wangiziye nyumba za jizajiza

ndio mashukiyo 7 walishukiye.

nyamba

Wa wapi ziuli
Kwa

na mashekhi

mema

ya

10

za

vumbi vumbi

za Pate Yungwa

Wangiziye nyumba

62.

8
Wapi wakiungu waviza kumbi

"Walaliye

61.

muanga na muangaza

kisararnbi

59.

nipulikiza

ziunda 9 za miti ziwaaliye.

wenyi nyuso

za tanga tanga 12

mabwana na mawaziri
Watamiwe 13 na-ti za makaburi
lina

'ali

11

daula na

zenyi mianga?

'ezi

iwaushiye.

wenda na makundi ya

'askari

pingu za mauti ziwafundiye.

makadhi wamua 14 haki; wahakiki zuo wakihakiki

15
Waongoza watu njema tarikhi wesiwe kwa wote waitishiye.
17
19
20
18
16
zituzo za mato masiza ngowa ?
Aimi wa wapi wake zidiwa

Kwa

lina

63.

Wasiriye wote kuwa

64.

mahuwa 21

22
sasa ni waushi
waliushiye.

83

kalamu ya Mngu iwapeteo,

Moyo nakwambia ya watu sao
24
kuwa
ao
una yako uyashishiye ?
kamao
Nawe wayakini
ata
taadabu
sipeketeke
ya jauri haki ushike,
Moyo
Wendo wachokoka 25 nawe [hjwokoki moto wa jahimu 26
;

65.

usikutwae.

Siku ya maini ndani kuwaka

67.

68. Ukimbiliepi
1

28

pa kukushika

= awakened.
Ku-wa'igiika=ku-zingatia=ku-faMasikizi =masiMo.

Ku-pulika=ku-sikia.
Ku-uza=ku-uliza.

mbonya
17
18

na paa 27 za watu kupapatuka.

16

liamu.

Hbonya=nionya.
Mashukio = place of

21

22

descent.

Ku-viza=ku-ongeza.
Kiunda Aboard with which body

23

is

2*

covered in grave.
10

Ziuli

= maua.

" 'Ali=bigh
12

(Ar.).

mtanga.
ku-atama.
14 fr. ku-amua.
^ Wesiwe = wameamkuliwa
13

27

fr.

28

fr.

20

30

30

nitagamiye

zidiwa = kama ndiwa.

Kituzo = arresting.
ku-isa (i8ha).

Ngowa =matakwa.
Mahuwa =: marehemu.
Waushi = people who have

flown

away (uka=ruka).
Sao-hao.

Kamao = kama wao.

fr.

26

. .

Aimi=mimi.

19 fr.

20

29

malijaa

okoka.

Jahimu,

fr.

Ar.^fr;Jlrif^

P aa = utosi.
ukimtoiliepi=utakimbia wapi?
Malijaa = matagamiwa.
Ku-tagamia = ku-egema.

N.

69.

VERSION

79

Tafakari siku ya kwima 1 kondo; yaku'aridhiwa 2 kula kitendo

3
4
achamba Ya Rabi namuwa 5
Pindi mathulumu atapo ondo
;

nae.
70.

Namuwa na huyu, menithilimu kwa hukumu yako ilio ny umu

Mngu jabari akahukumu amtendeleo amlipiye.
Na malipwa yao wathilimua si thahabu timbi si 3^akufua,
6

71.

Fedba hawatwai na wangapoa; ila hasanati 8 ni malipwaye.

9
10
72. Aso hasanati wala thawabu
hufungwa kitaya kama rikabu
Akatwekwa thambi thamaghusubu 11 akambiwaHaya mtukuliye.
13
12
73. Moyo tafakari ya jahanamu
wenyi silisiya na azimaniu
15
14
akiukimu
unene labeka niitishiye.
Pindi ya Daiyani
16
ukivuma
na
kuta
ukita sauti kama ya punda
panda
[74.]* Uye
17
18
sura
za
na ziyali 19 zimtatiye.
ndimi
yonda
Mjani akupe
21
20
pulika sana; ni moto mkali hau makina
[75.] Kuna na hawia
22
'Asi angiapo hula kitana
huona pumuzi zimsiziye.
23
ufahameto ni moto mkali katika nyoto 24
[76.] Moto wa sai'ri
Ni mngi 25 wa moshi na mitokoto 26 majoka na pili waikaliye.
27
nao pulika ukitiwa mara huwa kuwaka
[77.] Na moto wa latha
28
Huona manofu yakikwambuka waona ziungo ziungushiye 29
;

30

hutama 31

motowe muashi na kuguruma

Huvunda mifupa hupisha nyama; bongo na wasakha limshu-

[78.]

Fahamia tena

siyo

shiye.

N^imi = pl.

Kwima = ku-simama.

18

Ku-aridhiwa = ku-arifu.

19

Kiyali = spark.

Mathulumu = tyrants.

20

Hawia=one

Ku-ta

= ku-piga
on<3lo

magote =

viz.

ku-shitaki.

Namuwa = hukumu.
Ny umu = -kali.
Jabari = bila kifano.

21

22

Hasanati = thawabu.

23

Kitaya = bit (bridle).

Rikabu = a riding animal.

14

15

of

the

seven

26

Silisiya = chains.

2(3

PL of moto.
Mgi=mwingi.
Mitokoto,

fr.

ku-tokota.

27

Latha = one of the

28

Manofu = joints of meat.

Ku-ungua = to disjoint,

29

hells.

cut joints

apart.
17

Mjani = a wrong doer (distinguish

from mjane (Kimv.)=mtumbwa

30

Siyo = hiyo.

31

Hutama = one

of the hells.

(Kiam.)).

See on these

hells,

Jahanamu, (ii) Jahimu,

(iii) Hawia, (iv) Sai'ri, (v) Latha,
(vi) Hamimu, (vii) Hutama.
Makina =makini.
Kitana = sumbuko.
Sai'ri = one of the hells just men(i)

tioned.
24

Maghusubu = oppressor.

Azimamu=ugwe.
Daiyani = a name for God.
Eu-kimu=ku-amkua.

of ulimi.

[74] to [78] the note at the

end of the Translation.

MOMBASA RECENSION OF THE INKISHAFI

BY

REV. W. E. TAYLOR

ABBREVIATIONS
= another reading.
= various authority or reading.
= South, Southern. (S.V. = version obtained at Mombasa.)
= North, Northern. (N. V. = Captain Stigand's, obtained in the

AL.
VL.
S.

N.
A. or Auth.
Ar.

Archipelago.)
or Authorities.

= Authority
= Arabic,

wd.

=word

Ngoz.

=Ki-ngozi (Ki-ngovi.)

pf.
alt., alt.

1.

Mv.
usu.

mod.
perh.

ad

loc.

= perfect.
= alternative, alternative reading.
= Mombasa, Mombasa language or
= usual, usually,
= modern,
= perhaps,
= at the place referred to.

Kimvita.

=from.

fr.
cf.

or would.

or

cfr.

sc.

w.
lit.

prob.

= compare,
= meaning,
= with,
= literal, -ly.
= probably.

PRELIMINARY NOTE ON THE MOMBASA RECENSION

Mombasa Text is the outcome of a careful and deliberate
many years of the original Arabic-character
copy obtained for me in 1885 by the celebrated Mwalimu Sikujua II.
The original transcription was made by the help of the learned in such
matters among my friends, native scholars and authorities like the
Sheikh Mohammed bin Ahmad, "li-Mambasii," meaning Descendant
of the ancient royal family spoken of under the name of "the
Kings of Mombaza" by the poet Milton (see Introduction), who
This

revision spread over

S.

RECENSION

81

were dispossessed by the Portuguese after their conquest of the

coast at the end of the fifteenth century.
Then his almost equally
able son Bwana Hemedi, with Mwalimu Sikujua, the poet, who

me Another special revision was made, if I

remember rightly, by Bwana Sa'id bin Khamis, Bwana Husein
bin Khamis el Mandhiri, and the Kadhi (then Sheikh) Buruhani
bin 'Abd-il-'Aziz ibn 'Abd-il-Ghani, el-Amawi (Omeyad of The
procured a text for

Other

Kureish).

general

were

authorities

the

latter's

able

Kadhi of Zanzibar before him, and Ayubu bin Salim el

Mazru'i, of T'akaungu, now I think of The Mrima, also Bwana Majidi
bin 'Ali el Mandhiri besides Bwana Rashid bin Su'ud, and the
Mwalimu now Kadhi al-Ghazzali,and others too numerous to mention.
All the names given are those of acknowledged authorities in their own
father,

country.

The

first-mentioned, looked

drawn

for the distinction

in the

up to by all, is the authority

Introduction between the three

leading Dialects of the different zones of Swahili

and Zanzibar, as

media

for

Prose,

Poetry,

Lamu, Mombasa,
and Trade jargon

respectively.
It will

be noted that the N. Text lacks the

first

seven stanzas

of the complete Poem preserved in this Mombasa Recension, a

defect which seems at first sight to be atoned for by the presence of

on the Mirage,
[74]-[78] and of the three
stanzas in all.
Eliminating these last, the

the five
eight

[16]-[18],

Poem

totals

The loss of the introductory stanzas is explicable

seventy stanzas.
by the fact that the ancient poetry of this stamp was written
on rolls, of which the outer layers became the first to perish.
It is seldom that a MS. of any age is found in such good condition
as

is

that of the Utenzi of Liongo, which I secured in 1884, now

Museum, but its outer part has of course suffered

at the British

more than the

rest of the long roll.

The

have ventured to include and revise on

am

still

doubtful

if

stanzas on the Mirage

my own

they formed part of the

authority, though

original, since the

complete number of stanzas in the perfect Poem would hardly

"
"
is a number that would appeal
70
be an odd number, and
to the oriental and the native mind alike.
(See also for a superfluous stanza in S.

MS. the note on

12.)

PRELIMINARY NOTES TO THE MOMBASA TEXT

Phonetics and Prosody.

1.

for the

Kim vita

but with

The Swahili Spelling appropriate

"
Mombasa, d and t, cerebrals,"
in them than at Lamu, etc.
these

Dialect as used at

"r"

less of the

or

trill

words in which they figure are pronounced in the South,

at Zanzibar etc., exactly the same as at Mombasa, namely on the
d and t,
fore palate with the upper edge of the blade of the tongue

letters in all

tongue on the teeth these

are pronounced exactly the same to the North, at Lamu, etc., as at
Mombasa, dh and th, the Arabic dhad and tha. The effect of

pronounced with the

dentals,

tip of the

these is easily heard in the modifying of their following vowel sounds,

especially of the a's which succeed them, when the words in which
Their
they occur are pronounced as is usual in the Arabic style.
related consonants exhibit the

(jo and

u)

same

peculiarity, e.g.,

both

dh and

modify the a following to become in sound nearly

as o, thus sala (prayer*) is sala, nearly and dhamini is nearly

dhamini so the palatal Arabic sounds th and t (J and Jb) make
;

a broad a

The

also,

e.g.,

thahiri

between

(distinct)

dh and th

and tahiri

(circumcise).

partly that dh, like s, involves

a guttural effort, the chords of the glottis being made vibrant
to yield a chest resonance at the moment of voice production,
"
"
in the same
pose as for the gutturals kh and gh, which have a
difference

is

similar effect on the vowels they introduce

partly that, while th

a palatal sound consonant pure and simple, the dh is a composite sound, produced with the upper blade upon the palate, and
is

with the side laid along the upper jaw teeth on the left. The gh,
the q or k (J>) and the r and s have a similar broadening effect.

dh

(3)

when

it

and
is

all

the remaining consonants, including the

used at

all

as

in

proper names

ain (c)

like

'All, 'Athman,
do not broaden their succeeding vowel sounds thus dhati, not
dhati *. N.B. Persians and Hindis neglect this in their own speech,
:

and the former make

1

The only word

all

long a's

which

a, like

"awe."

If the

dh and th

has a broadening influence upon the vowel it

is, said my teacher, as if the tongue made a prostration
to pronounce a Name so holy.
But Billahi, Bismillahi,

in

precedes is Allah. It
in prayer in the effort
not Billahi, etc. ; because of the

in the preceding syllable.

S.

and

and kh and gh,

s,

RECENSION

83

are reduced as often

etc.

by the "illiterate"

"

dh

then ") and s and h (or g), etc., then

(= the th in English
there is no modification of the pure vowel system a, e, i, o, u
to

a, e,

u in the Swahili of Mombasa (or even of the South as

am aware). Here note The Accent. The vowels are rather

6,

I,

far as I

lengthened at the accented syllable than stressed, the emission of

up in an even "pressure"
Ain (e), h (*.), and' (*) are the Arab sounds least
throughout.

voice as contrasted with breath being kept

'

usually heard in Swahili.

The explosive consonants p', ch', k', t', t', differ from the smooth
or non-explosive type of the same letters in the increased force
is supplied from out of the mouth cavity, not
they always represent a suppressed n before the
a matter of grammatical importance in the case of

of the breath, which

from the chest

letter aspirated
initials

and they correspond

respectively, being breath consonants,

"blends" made with the corresponding voice consonants

by the letter n to form respectively mb, nj, ng, nd, nd. [Note
There is also a blend mv as in Mvita, a dissyllable
and in
to the

Jomvu

(Jo-mvu).] ng' is the sound in the words Gottm^en,

(Welsh), and singing, when the latter word (still pronounced
in the ordinary way) is divided, not as sing-ing, but as si-nging

Nghad

be contrasted carefully with the blend

apostrophe above mentioned.
this is to

Also

and

note:

The marks

d and

introduced

for

ng without

the

"cerebral"

the

the

Lamu, etc.,
by Captain Stigand
while they draw attention to the exaggerated "trill"
which in those Dialects accompanies them both, but especially
the d, are not necessary when the Mombasa system above noted is
for

Dialects,

Therein every

used.

d and

t not

marked as dental (d and

t)

pronounced as above explained, and

when it occurs in Lamu, etc., is merely pronounced in the
exaggerated Lamu way. This d and t is the Bantu consonant
proper the dental d and t of Mombasa while found in the roots of
is

admittedly cerebral,

i.e.,

pure native origin are the true Arabic sounds, and are always heard
in the more modern words derived from the Arabic when spoken

by the

"

loans, the other

"

in whatever zone.
Apart from the Arabic
words in which at Mombasa the dental d and

cultured

those which exhibit j and ch respectively at

From the above considerations the " Centrality " claimed
Mombasa Dialect in the Introduction may be further

occur include

Zanzibar.
for

the

62

84

S.

established.

[See

Grammar

Mrs

"

The

of

Cerebral

also

RECENSION
Preface

my

to

the

Mombasa Swahili

Burt, S.P.C.K.]
"

pronunciation of both the r and

at Zanzibar

South (with the fore-edge of the tongue slightly raised

the
fore front palate, and so bearing a relation to the Bantu
against
d and t), easily explains the confusion so often arising between

and

in the

those sounds in the Southern Dialects, where at one

seem to hear r anc( at another 1.

moment you

poetry as in ordinary speech make separate

it is not necessary to write the
m'vi, n'de,
11 is
to distinguish from the blends mb, nd, etc.
(') except
seldom separated thus I'l, yet in some words it is so separated,

m' and

syllables

as in

n'

in

thus

Bisumiriahi, where the

first

of the

1's

is

dwelt on to

make the fourth syllable of the six of which the word is composed.
In Swahili prosody every
(See the Mombasa Text, Stanza 1.)
full
value.
There are no diphthongs
vowel is given its separate
in the Central
2.

(Mombasa) and Southern groups

Prosody of the Poem.

generally.

The metre and rhyme-system

of the appended Translation are intended to convey

to the English ear of what is (to the Swahilis !) the
cast of the original

archaic

some idea
somewhat

but in the Swahili (what answers

to) the tonic accent, falling on the penultimate syllable of each

word, is necessarily sometimes distinct from the modulation of the

rhythm.

This rhythm with the rhyming

Aimi

wa wapi

||

may be thus

tabulated

wakazfndfwa,

Zituzo za mato,
wasiza-ngowa
kiiwa mahiiwa;
Wasiriye wot'6
L6o ni waiishl waliiishfye\

||

||

||

The

last syllable of

rhyme
though

each stanza

is

invariably of the same strict

-ye (which in most cases has to be transliterated as -e

written -ye in the Arabic script) throughout the Poem.
In

the Translation the letter -r has been chosen for the last letter of

and the unusual metre and accentuation is

an endeavour to render the effect of the Poem mutatis mutandis
the final syllable

as above.
3.
Permanency of Dialect. It is very important to note
that the changes have been naturally very much slower and always
inconsiderable in those Dialects where the literary and poetic genius

S.

RECENSION

85

and the pure

taste of the people have had such play as certainly

has
been the case in the Mombasa (Central), and Lamu,
lately
and some other Northern Dialects.
The War of Extermination
till

"
waged against the Arab squirearchy and their leisured entourage
by the colonising European Powers, with the growing influence
"

of the often too unsympathetic Resident Alien, have introduced as

a necessary sequel an alteration in this respect, and the mass of

" Ushuhuda "
(Native Authority which in Swahili is or was the
standard poetry) has in consequence become thinner and so less
a conservative factor. However, where genius exists,
genius will out and we may now hope for a revival in Swahili of
efficient as

strong, while with the introduction of modern conditions

the merely pedantic element once so assertive in its tendency to

all

that

is

Simultaneously, howsegregation of dialects becomes out of date.

of
the
with
the
ever,
Euphrates" of the native
gradual "drying up
is
element
a
conservational
new
becoming operative in the
classics,
increasing eifect of

the

Bible

Translations,

which,

in

all

the

important languages of the world where a regular, popular, use

of Scripture has obtained, have had the steadying effect of a sheet

anchor for grammar, vocabulary and style amidst the ever-changing

currents of the fashions of speech.

INKISHAFI,
kania ilivyopokewa Mvita huku katika manukuu ya kale na huku kwa
ya wenyeji wat'u wa maana, wazoevu wa mambo ya ushairi wa kale.
1.

midomo

Na
niikadimu
hali ya kupenda kuinathimu
noe arahimu nyuma ikae.
arahamani niirasimu
Noe na him'di nitangulize alo mdasisi asiongeze akamba

Bisumil'lahi

||

||

||

2.

||

him'di niitushize
3.

Kwimakwe

||

asiondoe.

'ila

katangaza

ikatoza anga kama siraji

sala
t'umwa Mohamadi nim'salie
Nalize thamma banu Kinana na sahaba wane wenyi ma'ana
sala na mbawazi ziwaalie
nisaliye wot'e ajuma'ina
Allahumma Rabba mkidhi-haja nisaliye t'umwa aliyekuja||
nitawabidi Maula wa waja ukitusomesha tafusirie.
Kwimakwe kuisa kuzikamili
him'di na sala hiziratili

kuisa kutabalaji

na salamu

4.

||

niidiriji

||

i|

||

||

||

||

5.

||

||

6.

|j

7.

||

yangu makali ambayo moyoni nikusudie;

Makusudi yangu nda kudhamiri ya kutunga koja kulidawiri
mivazi miwili ya kukhitari makinda ya lulu nyuma nitie.
niyathihirishe

||

||

||

||

8.

Nitunge kitungo kwa kukisafi

nikipange lulu kulla tarifi
na ina nikite IN'KISHAFI
kiza cha dhunubi kineukie
||

||

||

9.

Kitamishwe kiza cha ujuhuli,

ambao kwamba hutaamali

The

||

||

nuru na mianga

ite thalali

||

na

iwe toba yakwe aitubie.

of 1 from Ar. nakala xnankulun.

Important as indicating that an 1 is primitive in Bantu roots, and its presence
bespeaks the Dialect, in which such 1's are found, as presenting an older and
not a more modern form of speech.
1
Here the original Kingozi reading demanded by the metre must have
been noe arahimu
which accordingly I have restored for nandike
(^j^Jpl)
rafcimu. Cp. arahamani above with the article. (N.B. I have used no diacritical
points in the text for Arabic loan words, where the letters are not carefully pronounced. Hence, himdi, Mohamadi, without the h, etc.) (kuoa= write. Ngozi.)
2
In 8. MS. the reading is nandike (=niandike) but here also from
similar considerations I have restored noe na the conjunction na is evidently
required, while nandike leaves no room for it in the metre.
4
=niweneze.
This from MS. and verbal information, n. from
=ziwaenee.
ku-awaza; AL. namba wazi^siflti.
5
This and the following word are so spelt in the MS. but the consonants
are all pronounced single in Swahili with short vowels, but the first word is
exceptionally accented, with stress on every syllable.
8
kineukie, from ku-euka ; because ni with following e may elide its i,
but may never become ni- ; kiniukiye therefore as in N. Text wd. if correct
be from ku-uka, not from ku-euka.
AL. ite laili = cast out the night. tfcalali= mists, etc.
9
=kuzingatia,
= exactly, Gr. neravoLo. toba = /ieTa/*Ae<r0at ; majuto (mayuto
=
[17])
Title.

manukuu, by

elision

10.

Kwimakwe
wangu

||

kiiisa

yangu

diibaji

utwetwe

hawa

ni

87

RECENSION

S.

p'enda kuonyana na

||

za

malimwengu

||

moyo

hila za rajimi

ziughurie.
11.

Hunambii kwani,
12.

halibaini,

||

ni-ni

Moyo wangu
kukhitari.

13.

likukuliyeo hela n nini

liwapo na sura nisikatae?

ni-ni? huzundukani?

Moyo wangu

?
hu'itabiri ?
twambe,
Hujui dunia ina khatari ?

||

t'esi,

||

mwelevu

||

huzandamae?
Suu ulimwengu, bahari

||

||

ndia

||

wa

za t'atasi

una matumbawe na mangi masi,

||

kwa

kulla khasara ukhasirie.

aurakibuo huyo
mwana
14. Unga ja kisima kisicho ombe,
chenyi mtambaa
kati asipate
endao kwegema humta p'embe
wa ng'ombe
ni mwasi,

||

||

||

||

kunwa
15.

An

linga

maie.

vumbi

la

muangaza
akilisoza

mwenyi kulegema
Au linga metu limetukapo

[16.]

mwenyi
[17.]

nyota

'kamba

||

wakati wa yua likitumbuza,

hakioni k'itu akishishie

||

||

||

wakati

mai

ni

wa yua

yapo

||

lilinganapo

||

kiyakimbilia

akayanwae ?
mai alotaka akayatoa,
Chenda akaona mwako wa yua,
ikawa mayuto yasimsie.
asifidi yambo ilia shakawa
shida na shakawa likupeteo,
Khasaisi zot'e za matakwao,
ni dunia sii uipendao
yenyi nyingi dhila na makatae
||

||

||

[18.]

||

||

||

19.

Dunia

ni jifa, siikaribu

ewelaibu,

||

||

haipendi mt'u

kuwania na

mbwa

ila kilabu.

zitukuzie

i
||

hali gani,

11
=lina ndia.
12 and in its
In a S. MS. stanza 31 occurs twice, both here after
12
13 begin with the
Note that and
place there in precisely the same form.
same words, Suu ulimwengu.
14
I have left mtambaa according to the S. MS. and Auth. but prefer
"
mta-paa from ku-ta paa~(Intensive form of upaa) as if thrusting out the shaggy
"
mane (tossing it). Through corruption this may be the philology of the word

mtamba.
~

15. akishishiye, soS. MS. and A.'s., though ukhasirie in these in 13 (for
yukhasirie"?), or is it 2nd person by a sudden change to the personal appeal.
Note In Lamu, etc., u- has often to do duty in both 3rd and second persons
singular, though yu- of course is the original form of the prefix in all Swah.
:

dialects.

16 in the Translation.
See Prelim. Note, second paragraph, and on
16
18
matakwao, the S. form correctly wd. be matakwayo however as
This
indicated the"se three stanzas may not be of the original poem.
makatae =
word is supplied for the hiatus in the rhythm here.
makata-yakwe, and may mean, "with its [unfolding] leaves" (vicissitudes):
These three stanzas
or (-kat'a) lit. "cuts," = bargains, shrewd turns.
[16]-[18]
have* been amended conjecturally from the N. V.
which
Auth.
namba
situkuzie
S.
kuwania
S. MS. has here,
19
explains
namba ati! ("I say!"); kuwania situkuzie, "I have not tolerated = do not
;

endure, to embrace, or, to contend for

(it)."

88

S.

20.

Ma 'a una 'ila iliyo mbovu

ulikithiriye ungi

||

welevu

II

ni k'avu

mno, k'uta kiwavu

hupa wat'u ghaitha ikithiriye
*
walotadhaludhi kwa shani lao,
Wangapi dunia waipeteo
ikawasumbika kama zioo wakafa na zanda waziumie
Tanzi la mauti likawakota
na kuuma zanda na kuik'ata,
"
na dunia yao ikawasuta,
ikamba " Safari, muiukie
Ikamba " Hayani ndiyo safari
Ikomile tena yenu 'usiri.
;

21.

RECENSION

||

||

22.

||

Bidha'a ya ndeo na takaburi

24.

25.

||

||

||

||

mtenzile kwangu, riishahadie !"

na kutopekea katika nyama
"

Mvi wa Manaya ukawafuma,

pasiwe mwatami mwenyi kwatama,
zalikuwae

||

||

23.

||

||

||

||

au

mwamba

Nini

Wakazisalimu 'umri

Hadimu-ladhati akenda nao, pasi

zao,
mkohozi akohoao,
aula
mwambiwa asiridhie.
Zituko zingapo hutanabahi
ukanabihika bikunabihi ? wamba
||

||

||

26.

||

hata
27.

Hiki

lini

ya usafihi

||

||

nambia ukomo

niusikie.

ewe moyo, kievu changu

hukengeukii nusuha yangu
huza akherayo kwa malimwengu ?
Ya kulewa bongo
!

1|

||

||

ukhitarie

28. Nisikia sana

nikwambiapo

haimulikani
29.

izimikapo,

Au

Roho inga

||

||

sa'a

taa katika p'epo,

||

huiona izimishie.

ulio weuni katika shaka, pakausha

inga moto kuroromoka
ikawa kuzima usififie".
wingu katika kwaka,
Ewe moyo wangu, sihadaike
hela tafadhali unabihike ;
Shetani rajimi asikuteke aoriapo kesho k'uwa kamae
Suu ulimwengu uupendao
emale ni lipi ulitakao?
hauna
hela upwewepo wautendae?
dawamu, hudumu nao!
||

||

||

30.

||

[|

||

31.

||

||

||

20
kuta kiwavu - kupiga kikumbo, to smite under the ribs, and so to deal
a " knock-out " blow, k' = ni k.
ghaitha, or there may be conjectured for hupa
wat'u ghaitha, hupa mat'ongea, nave treacheries bestowed for their
reward.
See on other emendations [18].
The last eleven syllables read in
S. MS. and by S. Auth. as the
13.
The text here is
corresponding line in
put conjecturally by the help of the N. Version.
21
N.V. walotaladhudhi from Ar. form \ jjtf ; but the text is as S. MSS.
"
and Authorities.
Caught," now rather as in a trap or snare, etc.
22
"Strangled," Swa. Auth. S. MS.
23
This wd. tena S. MS. omits by error, but is inserted from good S. Auth.
24
=kuzama kabisa.
AL. S. wala mwambiwa asiridfcie.

25

OtJJJ! ^i>li = "Smasher

of Delights,"

Ar.

synonym

of Death.

MS. wala: but mwambiwa is never read

wakenda, by slip, hi S. MS.
except as a trisyllable.
Ya kulewa bongo ukhitarie?
27
Here substituted for S. MS. which
reads Shetani Bills! [Ibilisi] akughurie.
28
S. Auth. haina muanga tena.
AL. S. haiziwiliki.
29
uwakao sana kwa mshindo.
kuzima taratibu moto, i.e., " and not
die
down
merely
slowly."
In MS. of S. this identical stanza here and also after 12.
S 31

RECENSION

S.

32.

Hakuwa mtumwi

na ajinani,
wamrushae
awapo mngine

Sulaiinani

maliki

||

ukamkhini
wangapi uwaweneo

ulimfutue

89
ya

insi

ikawa yakini kumbona kwao,

sasa nyuinba za-t'i ziwatweteo
katika lihadi
iwafusie.
34. Uwene wangapi wat'u wakwasi
walowakiwaa kama shamsi,
33.

Watoto

||

||

||

||

||

||

35.

||

dhahabu na fedha wahuzinie.

na dunia yao ili akali
wakenenda
Ulimwengu wao uli taili
vitwa vya ufidhuli
mato mafumbi walifumbie.
na nyuma na mbele* ili
Wakimia mbinu na zao shingo,
wamiliki zana

za adhirasi

||

|j

||

||

36.

||

wakaapo
misongo
wawatandie

ili

pot'e

||

vitengo

||

asikari

wema,

37.

zikinawiri

zao nibak'e

Nyumba

kwa

||

taa za k'oa na za sifuri;

||

masiku yakele kama nahari

haiba na jaha iwazingie.
38. Zango za mapambo na faanusi
naapa kwa Mngu Mola
zali za msaji na abunusi
mkwasi
zetee sufufu zisitawie.
;

||

||

||

||

39.

sini

"Wapambie

za kuteua

kati watizie kuzi za k'oa

na kula kikombe kinakishiwa"

||

katika

|j

k'elele za

yanawirie.
masituri, zikiterema

na za
na
za
furaha na nyemi
khudama;
waja

misana zilikivuma

40. K'uinbi za

||

mapambo

||

||

||

zishi-

tadie.

32 Ordinary pronunciation to-day Selemani.

S. MS. miliki.
ns as a
= walimpotea,
blend w. only slight trace of the n Hebrew enosh = frail man.
S. Auth.
uli- corrected from S. MS. being an evident error.
The subject is
ulimwengu, "the world," not insi na ajinani.
"
"
33
child = prince, and the original
mtoto, cp. Old Engl. sigmf. of
"
"
or " child," i.e.,
signification of the now so common Swah. wd. mtoto,
boy
"
"
from ku-ta (Ngoz.) cp. Engl.
offshoot
lihadi, either the
scion,"
imp."
lateral niche made in the graves of Moslems, or the bier-frame laid therein.
See
note on Trans, ad loc.
34 AL. S. zina ( = hazina, S. Auth.), another, 2ani in same sense.
AL. S.
;

idharusi.

35
AL. Malimwengu yot'e yawati'ile Na dunia yao iwaokele, where
oka=kusitawi, "All's well with" them."" Prob. an ingenious reading of good
Swah. sense into the Arabic of the original script But so it would not so well fit in
with the next line. The S. Auth. comment on line 1 is, mambo makubwa, umri
mchache = ars longa, vita brevis.
zitwa zao zilele. Both these readings are
" Wewe
recognised by S. Auths. One S. Auth. explains the alt.l. by saying
wenda na kitwa kimelala kwa sakara, jamali na afia " = they march along in
a stupor of self-satisfaction.
See Trans, note ad loc.
36
"1 " retained in S. instead of N. mbee.
AL. S. wawatatie,
37
S. MS. p'weke (sic) or pweke
text as two S. Auths. and also N. MS.
= well-built, mbak'e = fr. kuwaka.
38
-TA
zetee, S. Auth. = zimekuta (stem -TA="put forth") safu-safu.
with prosthetic I- or E- see
69 etapo ondo = aitapo ondo
here zetee then
!

prob. for zietee (or -tele) old pf.

I find a variant, apparently thus Wapambe ni siti za kuteua, of
39
which the authority is doubtful.
ki-= participle-adjective, supplying ni from
:

previous clause.

40

AL.

S.

and N. MS. here nana= "ladyes," Eng.

90

RECENSION

S.

41. P'indi walalapo

kwa

masindizi

||

wall na wakandi na wabembezi

1|

na wake wapambe watumbuizi wakitumbuiza wasinyamae.

maao mema ya kukhitari juu la vit'auda na magodori
Kwa
42.
na mito kuwili ya akhidhari kwa kazi ya p'ote wanakishie.
43. Misutu mipinde wakapindiwa
juu ya firasha kufunikiwa
'itiri nakawa
mai ya marashi wakikokewa
waipashie.
wakanakiliwa ill safari,
44. Ukwasi ungapo na tafakhari,
fusi na fusizi liwafusie
washukie nyumba za makaburi
ikawa
shubiri
45. Sasa walalie mji
pasipo zulia wala guduri
||

||

||

||

||

||

||

||

||

||

||

mi will

kutaathari,

||

usaha na damu zatuuzika,

p'ua
haiba na sura zigeushie.
hushuka
Wasirie wot'e kula kwa dudi na mtwa na t'ungu huwafisidi
na nyoka na ng'ge wawana kuwatafuna zao jasidi

46. Zitukuta

zao hutuulika,

||

||

na makanvva bombwe

47.

||

dhiki ya kaburi iwakusie.

||

||

||

||

tatie.

launi ya dubi au kiradi;

mifupa na nyama ikukutie.
makinda ya nyuni juu
49. Nyumba zao mbek'e ziwele t'ame,
zitende matandu
husikii hasi wala ukeme,
yengeme

48.

Nyuso memetufu

ziambatishie zao

zikasawidi
jilidi

||

||

||

||

||

||

yalitandie.
50.

k'umbi za msana hulia

Nyumba-kati zao huvuma nyende ;
kuwa mazibaa
mende,
yangilie vumi makurnbi ya-nde
||

||

yamesirie
51.

Madaka ya nyumba na
nyuni;

||

||

zisahani

bumu hukoroma

||

sasa, walalia

kati nyumbani,

||

zichigi

wana wa
na k'uyu

wailalie.

41 c N. Auth. wapepezi, people fanning with fans.

MS. has wakik'okewa = wakimwaiwa, or
43
So S. Auth.;
S.
wakik'akiwa.
"precious," N. Auth. has na kaa with an explanation of

kaa

as "sandal wood."

Fusi and fusizi verbals from fuka, the latter form from ku-fusiza.
" a
heap of made-earth," as the
expression fusizi is used to signify,
mound of a castle-keep. AL. N. mtanga na fusi ziliwafusie.

44

The

N. MS. walikee mui.

N. MS.
N. Auth. huwatulika two Sw. Auth. and MS.
S. Auth. mbwe-mbwe
S. MS.
expfain^zabomoka, zamonyoka.
mbombe the usu. wd. is bombwe as here.
N. MS. Jisadi. S. MS. order of lines in this is a, c, b, d.
47
49
mbek'e or mbeke (from weka) S. MS. also, mbak'e (from waka or
aka); or p'eke, S. MS. and S. Auth. (from paka). Respectively, "pukkah"
whited. It is hard to decide the original reading.
stone-built
50
nyende = mod. ch'enene, cricket.
mazibaa, another case of the 1
the Ar. mazbalah=Swah. jaa. See note on
dropped from the primitive form
So S. MS.; last line recited by S. A. as leo yamazie yalisirie, S. Auth.
Title.
=yamekwislia; yamekuwa. N. MS. eo mazibaa yalisirie.
51
za, N. A.
45

46
Zitefute,
^
as here and

S.

52.

Wana wa

RECENSION

91

na wana wa ndiwa humia

zipungu wabembe zango
ziki na zitwitwi
mbawa na t'ongo-t'ongo
||

shingo nakupiga
waliweshiwie
||

||

53.

Ziwanda za nyumba ziwele mwitu, ungi wa matuka na k'utuk'utu

kwa kicho
milango ya nyumba hutisha wat'u
na kiza kilifunzie.
enda nyumba zao
Kwamba husadiki, wauiba mbuwongo
||

54.

||

||

ukete

shingo

||

ukita k'witikwi

ela

||

ni

mwengo

||

sauti

za wat'u zitindishie.
55.

Moyowa hutasa kunabihika?

mashikizi

56.

ukipulika

zituko zingapo huya'athika

||

k'wambie

||

la'ala yakutulie

||

tuza

Sasa moyo p'ako, nauza, nawe neleza-t'o sana nami niyue

Wa wapi wazazi wakuzazie ? nambia waliko hawam'kue...
||

||

||

57.

Mimi t'akwambia,
zisizo

58.

Yu

'Alii

wapi

Mwinyi
ndiae
59.

binu Nasiri?

||

||

||

na

za kiza-kiza

nyumba

wangizie

ndiyo mashukio walishukie

muamu wakwe

na Muhudhari

'Idarusi

||

||

Abu-Bakari?

wanzilepi kue?

||

mbonya

Wa wapi ziuli za Pate-Yunga

wangizie

60.

nipulikiza

mianga na miangaza

nyumba

||

wenyi nyuso k'ali kama zipanga 1

daula na 'enzi iwaushie

za t'anga-t'anga,

Wa

\\

||

na mashaha mema ya
wapi wenzangu ? wawende, kumbe
kisarambe ? wangizie nyumba za fumbe-fumbe, viunza vya
!

||

||

||

miti viwaalie.
61.

Kwali na mabwaiia na mawaziri, wenda na makundi ya 'asikari,

watamie nyumba za makaburi, p'ingu za mauti ziwafunzie
||

||

"

||

"

said Mwalimu Sikujua (the usual form

S. MS. zitwetwe.
52
Ch'igi
of dim. kichigi) " is a bird's name ; and the k'uyu, in Kim vita called kipure, is in
*
appearance like a dove or wood -pigeon ; bumu, the babe-watoto or screechowl. Ziki is the name of a bird still; kifrwitwi, a shore-bird."
="wame'

wekewa

[t'undu]," S. Auth.

The first growth of bush on an abandoned field matuka being

said of old and young growth equally.
clumps or copses of young trees
ni uwongo.
uka-i-te = ukete ku-ta, to thrust forth, der. of vita,
54
Not "nrwango," as N. Auth.
war; not of Mvita, Mombasa.
= hutasa fuata.
55
=tega masikio, S. Auth.
and
57
miangaza - t'undu-t'undu in modern
mianga^madirisha,
language =" windows," and "lancets" respectively.
53

" The
of Pate (S. Auth.)
way there."
"
"
yu-nga = she-is-like
(words fail to
'
=
CL
what
Hence
Misr-el-Kahira
Pa,te-Sanspareil."
say
!).
(Cairo), etc., for an
adjective which becomes linked with its proper name so as sometimes to become
its substitute.
The metre of the Inkishafu ; = " ubora," "most excellent." So S. Auth.
60

58
59

'Ali bin Nasir,

Pate-Yunga

a great

(not

man

Yungwa).

'

The Author was one Seiyidi Ahamadi a suehe-ngome. By mashaha I understand

S. Auth.
poets of a high order.
poetical sheikhs or bards
;

61

zimewafunga.

92
62.

S.

RECENSION

Wa

wasomao zuo wakihakiki,

wapi makadhi wamua haki,
wasiwe kwa wot'e waliushie.
wakionya wat'u njema tariki
Aimi wa wapi wakazindiwa
zituzo-za-mato, wasiza-ngoa
||

63.

wasirie wot'e
64.

65.

taadabu, sipeketeke

Amba

||

||

||

||

||

siku ya-t'i kupinduliwa

ukatelelezwa mwezi na jua

67. Siku ya maini ndani kokeka

na p'ingu sabaa kugeuliwa

na harara zisikwishie;

||

||

hari

||

na p'aa za wat'u kuk'watanika

yuu la viumbe lisififie
Siku ya mabongo kupukutika na mboni za mato kuwakodoka,
wakimbia kupi pa kukushika? mbonya mahalipe nitegeinee.
Tafakari siku ya kwima k'ondo na ku'aridhiwa kulla kitendo
anibapo, Ya Rabi niamua nae
p'indi mathulumu etapo ondo
,

||

kwa umu wa jua kuk'ukutika

68.

||

leo ni waushi, waliushie.

||

kalamu ya Mola iwapeteo ?

an una yako, uyashishie?
ata ya jeuri haki ushike; wenzo
moto wa jahimu usikutwae.

||

wokokapo nawe wokoke,

66.

Moyowa warnbae ya wat'u sao,

wajua yakini kuwa kamao?
Moyo

||

kuwa mahuwa

||

||

||

||

||

||

||

69.

||

||

||

70.

Muungu
71.

kwa hukumu yako iliyo nyumu

atahukumu amtozelee amlipie

Niamua nae huyu thalimu

Jabari

||

||

||

Na

malipo yakwe rnthilimiwa si dhahabu t'imbi si ya kufua ;

fedha hawatwai na wangapowa
ilia hasanati ni malipoe.
||

||

||

72.

Aso hasanati wala thawabu hufungwa kitaya kama rikabu katukuzwa dhambi za manuhubu
akambiwa, Haya, mtukulie
na
tafakari
p'indi
Moyo
juhanama yenyi silisili na azimama
Mola Rabi akiuk'ema, ukamba, Labeka niitishiye
||

||

73.

||

||

||

63
65

Mod. derivative wakazunduliwa wd. mean

=sifanye upuzi.

67S.

= to

VL.

be dried up.

S.

kukwaka.
S.

Auth.

||

" be found out"

Auth.
S.

VL.

lisizime.

kuk'akatika=(S.
S. Auth.

Auth.)

kuudMka.

2nd sing.
68
69
=aitapo ondo = apigapo got'i.
Ar. manhttb = the one despoiled.
72
S. Auth.=mandak'ozi=kongwa, kongo, Chinese, "cangue"; but
73
"
probably = stocks" or "pillory." The modern survival is only as "yoke."
Mod. Lebeka.
"Here am I; I dutifully respond." At this point, where
in fact the S. Authorities, both students and MSS. all conclude and that
at its seventieth stanza (see Preliminary Note)
the Poem itself would come
to a natural and artistic con elusion of the whole matter in the Moslem Ritual
word Labeka (pronounced commonly Lebeka)

the humble expression by a

"Slave" of his submission ( = Islam) to the Almighty 'Allah " Lo,
"
here am I
The tedious, unnecessarily long-drawn out agony of the " hells "
is also an offence against the native taste which on the whole distinguishes
poetry
dutiful

of the classical age ; while the spirit of these stanzas in especial is sensibly foreign
to that animating the rest of the Poem, wherein gloom when it approaches
the revolting does not bore in addition
The poverty and coarseness of the
!

language employed, together with the involved and strained constructions, are
moreover sufficient in themselves to proclaim the clumsy fraud. Again note
that the real total number of stanzas seems to be seventy.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE TEXTS AND THE

TRANSLATION OF THE INKISHAFI
This attempt to reproduce in English what to the Swahilis of
by must indeed have been the solemn stanzas of the

centuries gone
Inkishafi (also

and

much diffidence.

indifferently called the Inkishafu) appears with

been submitted for examination to two critics

It has

dear East African friend and Bishop,

and the Venerable Archdeacon Moule
men who, had they not been such missionaries,

of such competence as

my

the late Bishop Tucker,

of Mid-China

would have been equally well known in other spheres, the one
Their opinion, I need hardly
as an artist, the other as a poet.
what
have
was
been
expected from the candour of
say,
might
with
such men, considering the material submitted to them
small natural talent I had dared to attempt the impossible to
make acceptable English poetry of a fairly literal translation of
:

Poem;

this

that

is

to

say, of the religious classic of

a people

removed from our own

language, religion,
as is the Equator from the Temperate Zone, and in form
suited to the taste and use of the Bantu Moslem of old, but with
nothing to recommend it and make it popular for the European
unless indeed he be Christian enough to feel and not
Christian
"
merely say what the Roman said, Homo sum, nihil humani k me
alienum puto." However, one suggestion made to me was that
I should submit the Translation to a drastic revision, and the result
of that (for which I am entirely responsible) is here set before the

and

in

spirit so far

reader as being a presentment, so far as I have been able to effect

it, of the spirit, form, and substance of the original, without offence
against the canons of European taste, or even of English poetry ;
with this proviso, that the form, while strange no doubt to the works
of our poets, is still that into which the cadences of the original
seemed to my ear most easily to fall.

The Poem

as I have said

is one of the old time

Zingian Classics,
two forms at the least that now published in

and

exists

this

work by Captain Stigand, the Northern Form, which

in

in

OBSERVATIONS ON

94

many respects was new to me, and the Mombasa Text from
Neither this Southern
which the present Recension is made.
form nor the first-named appears however to be really the original
that form must remain for the present a matter of surmise.

original poem is indeed of some considerable age

be manifest, from the very alterations and corruptions
to
appears
which have crept into it, as is evidenced Jpy the differences
While it would
between the two Texts published in this volume.

That the

be idle to

to

know

a date, yet

fix

it

has been

my

opinion, founded

upon the

the great native authorities I have been privileged

and consult on these matters, that its age may be anterior

testimony of

all

The original
to the Portuguese discovery of E. Africa in 1493.
may well have been entirely in the Kingozi a dialect of the
Augustan age of Swahili literature which has ever since supplied
the vocabulary of poetry as from a mine, and the grammatical forms
of which are herein everywhere in use. And truly, Swahili, the more I
not per se in my view a very rapidly changing language
was not till there set in the present great Epoch of Flux in
which all things in heaven and earth are being shaken, and English
Rather Swahili has
itself let alone Swahili has not been exempt.
handed on many exceedingly ancient Bantu features in the matter
see of

it, is

at least

of the

it

Noun

Classes, for instance, at its worst it is better preserved

and what perhaps has been the greatest bulwark

the
changes incidental to the lapse of time is the continuous
against
of
the olden literature in the mouths of the people, and
popularity

than

is

Zulu

till recently of a line of bards whose

vigorous strains
are comparable to those of the old Greek minor poets.
Poems like
those of the Utenzi of Liongo Fumo \ and this Inkishafi, in the

the succession

two zones in which Swahili has altered

use, while in

also

been

all

The Mrima,

least,

have been constantly in

in the Zanzibar zone, the corruptions have

the less in the language from the fact that even there

this literature has

been conservatively operative.

The Recension printed above has been made from a truly excellent
text procured by my Arabic copyist Mwalimu Sikujua, the son, and
second poet of that name, from the exemplars kept in the mosques
and read therein on nights when special extra prayers are recited
1
I had the honour to convey to the British Museum, in which it
may be
seen, a valuable and perfect MS. of the Poem, obtained in the year 1884, and
friend
Canon
made
has
a
translation
from
a
recension
my
Eawnsley
poetical
I had made of this with
Bishop Steere's valuable original Edition in his Swahili

Tales,

and from the material

I supplied to

him

for the purpose.

THE TEXTS,

95

ETC.

Ramadban, these prayers constituting a function called kuterewehe (probably = Ar. ia^^jj). That copy was made in a script

as in

which, while not interfering with the purity of the native use of the
Arabic character, yet enables one to read into that character

by dint of a simple system of additional marks all those sounds

which it is so unfitted; I have several volumes of excellent

for

poetry in this useful script.

One remark in conclusion

may make

as

to

the idea of

the difficulty of Swahili poetry being any true indication of its age.
The Utenzi of (i.e., about) Liongo is very much harder than the

simple gnomic poetry which is attributed to the hero himself. Also,

Ngozi or Ngovi is the name properly speaking of the dialect which
obtained on the strip of territory known by that name, where

indeed the older forms of speech seem to have lingered longest

without corruption. It was from this circumstance that these latter

have the name of Ki-ngozi.

THE INKISHAFP
Or Swahili SPECULUM MUNDI
Translated by
1.

W.

E. Taylor.

(Copyright by the fame}

In Allah's name, Bismillak, stands the Preface of my lay

(Omitting that, no Moslem true his rhyming would essay

With Arrahman, The Merciful, link Arrahim,

Praising The Compassionate, Great Allah we
2.

And

then write

for

;)

aye

adore.

the Ascription, set duly at the fore,

critic, at fault-finding evermore,

Lest come some carping

And
3.

No Alhamdu

crying,

here

fie,

fie,

to slur that o'er

chant aloud

my

orisons in ritual array,

Benedictions holy, those forms to Islam

4.

(Mind ye, 'twere a real fault) go publish flout and fleer.

But ere my Poem upriseth, like as the dawn of day,
And shining like some silver lamp it sheds its limpid ray,

And
The
So

dear;

laud, pristine Cinana

right offspring of thy line,
four unique Companions, Caliphs by right divine
,

supplications their hallowed names combine

Recognizing heartily each Islamite Ameer

my

shall

5.

Then Allah, Despot Mighty, Thou Grant er of Requests,

To pray to Thee concerning the Apostle of Thy behests,
And boldly name the Unity each pious Slave attests,
So Thou cause us read Thee the Interpretation clear.
Title

see

and

= Apocalypse.

But the theme

is

more like that

of Ecclesiastes,

32, note.

3
4

See note on

11.

ancestor

the Quraish ; see next note.

Khallfah,
tbe Caliph
privileges of Apostolic Succession
" Successor " of
Mohammed. The four Unique Caliphs

"Qinana,"

of

signifies the possessor of the

or

Moslem Pope,

Abu
Mohammed,

Bakr, 'Omar, 'Othman, 'All), were all of the same tribe

the Quraish the only tribe indeed from which a lawful Caliph
can be chosen. The Sultan of Turkey is therefore not such, since on this
" Fathers " of
qualification all the great Mohammedan Authorities, the
Islam
are agreed.
Amir ul mu'minln= " Commander-of-the-Faithful," the title of a
true Caliph. This word, however, is not in the Swahili text.
5
Mohammed.
The Act of Tauhld ( = attesting the unity of
Moslem.
Sc. the interpretation of the above doctrine.
God.")
(namely,

as

<

'

THE INKISHAFI
6.

And now

that

my

97

Preface have in order meet recited,

To Benisons and solemn Lauds the Faithful have invited,

Discovering my Theme as here it is indited,
All my heart's fond purpose to men shall I make clear.
7.

That purpose fond

to

follow

will

weave and weave the

thought,
And twine it as in chaplets magnifically wrought,
Till fastened in a carcanet of workmanship outsought

Twin ropes
8.

Shamefastly
9.

of seed-pearls secure

it,

front

and

rear.

So broidering my Poem until daintily it trips

All threaded as with pearly grains up to the very
The INKISHAF I name it, by which Apocalypse,
sin's

tips,

gloom convicted shall appear.

that pagan gloom must pale and pass

Where Light has shone

away

In yielding to its radiance, though thick the shadows lay

So each wretch who to conscience' upbraidings is a prey
10.

From this Poem penitence may reap in godly fear.

Thus finishing the Foreword, behold the Theme begin
With stern self- ad monition, as I school my heart within,

by its false glamour with Mammon it doth sin

Fooled by the Fiend's fraud, for thee, my *heart, I fear
11. Nay then, my heart, what mean'st thou ?
couldst thou but
For, dazed

once be wise

Or Islam

dost thou reckon too huge a sacrifice?

for plain enough it
thou nothing
answerest
What,
'Twixt
or
Mammon!
these the choice
else
Islam,
!

12.

lies

is clear.

me, heart, what ails thee right counsel to refuse?

to speak thou knowest and art of age to choose.
What, seest thou not this vain world 'tis perilous e'en to

Or

tell

Speak out
use

of tempting them beware.

Labyrinth-like mazes
it is a troubled Sea, a tossing billowy waste,
13. The world
Chock-full of rocks and weedy rack that churn it into yeast,
!

Woe

worth the day

man

trusts to

it,

for

though he trade

his best

Loss of

all his

venture, no

less,

hath he to

fear.

Mammon, lit. The World, personified as such in the Gospels.

Islam, theoretically and literally means surrender to God, and thus
became the official name of the system of Mohammedanism. See the closing note.
10, etc.

11

S.

THE INKISHAFI

98
14.

Or 'tis as one who passeth near a Well

Where some mane-tossing bull goeth

of broken rim,
in

by the

circles

brim,
So did he haply 'scape the first the other would gore
Never man the water from thence to sip shall fare.
15.

him

Or like unto the Mote thou seest a-dancing in the beam,

As through the narrow casement the sun begins to gleam
To reach thy hand and grasp it a light thing would
seem

it

Open now thy

fingers

[16.] E'en thus Mirages

That pouring down

see, there's

'tice
its

nought but

air

us as they shimmer neath the sun

makes

blazing rays

thirsty

men

to

run,

Who
[17.]

thinking there is water where water there is none

Hasten thither trusting to slake a thirst so sore.
But, rushing on, what find they? ah, nought but raging

The water they had fancied it, a sorrow and a cheat

Then is their drink vexation poor reward for weary

feet!

All they shall draw thence, the anguish of despair.

[18.] Thy fancies and thy follies, with the failure and the smart
That hence befall thee, mortal, and wherein thou hast a
part,

'Tis these

sum up the

vain world on which thou setst thy

heart;
Heart-breaks and vanity of such is
19. Faugh, faugh
this world is Carrion

Mammon's

from

it

store

then keep thee far

A man may
Will nought

never fancy, though food for dogs most fit.

suit, curious trifler, but thou must taste thy

bit,

Vie in vain concupiscence, and have with curs thy share

20. Consider, for one fault indeed it hath
and it is this

deal one ne'er so prudently in all his business,

This shameless world and thankless will turn on him and

Though

hiss,

Causing mortals misery without or end or peer.

This and the two following
16
are not in the Southern Text. The
reason for this I think might readily appear in the absence of the mirage as a
in
the
Mombasa
where
the physical conditions do not favour
phenomenon
zone,
its development, but that on other grounds their genuineness is doubtful.

THE INKISHAFI
21. Full

a fool

many

flattereth to

it

In sucking sweet successes of the

Then like remorseless Fish-hooks

99

have attained its meed

End he took no heed
it hath snared him for his

greed
Fools they die in gnawing their fingers
in despair.
22. Vain, vain,
the noose of Death once fast about their neck
!

Vain, vain to gnaw their fingers and their dear flesh to hack
For now the World they canvassed hath played on them its
!

trick,

Saying, Up, depart ye

23.

Come, come, quotha,

'Tis past,

your

no longer linger here.

finished; yea, take your journey hence.

span of life, no space for penitence

all's

little

Nor

leave behind your stock-in-trade, your pride and insolence

All ye occupied in whilst here with me, I swear
!

24.

Thus suddenly the dart of Death

And
Or

"
25.

deep into the

What

this

is

vitals sinks, swift

mouth can open

ere man's

"
!

falls full

or ask

it

upon the breast,

and without

or tongue

may make

arrest,

protest,

what business brings him here

Then forthwith must my masters

their sorry persons doff!

For enter Kill-joy on the scene, and forthwith leads them off.
not so much as of a coughing one to cough
No protest
Never mortal summoned thus thereat may make demur.
!

26.

heart with such experiences wilt thou be not yet wise,

I school thee often, my schooling still despise;
me
that
thou weariest of such impertinences,
tell
Yea,

And, though
Crying,
27. But,

Hold thy

my

by

beard

peace,
I

man

swear

the end

I fain

would hear

heart of mine so rash,

it,

protest I am purposed thou shalt in no wise quash

What barterest thou that world for this world's paltry trash

My

the foul Fiend bewrayeth thee here

Nay,
28. Then listen and 111 tell thee, if so thou be inclined
it is

Man's

life is

but a Candle that

In vain wouldst thou relight

Puffed out in a moment,

it,

flickers in the wind,

though brightly

it

had shined

ah, but rekindled ne'er

21
To gnaw the fingers is a way of expressing a man's utter despair, and
accordingly a thing very rarely witnessed under the British regime in E. and
I cannot myself remember to have seen the gesture made in
Central Africa
earnest at any time. We should express it as "gnashing the teeth." The wrist
is held to the chin, with the nails of the bent fingers brought down upon the
teeth of the lower jaw.
Kievu (mod. kidevu) changu ; swearing by the beard, a sacred oath
27
is

with Moslems.

THE INKISHAFI

100
29.

Or

truly like the fierce Flare the cottar's brushwood

makes

When midst the forest clearing he has fired the bushy brakes
Now plumy clouds up-piling it showers the sooty flakes
'tis

Suddenly
30.

quenched,

its

place left black and drear.

heart,
prithee oh, go no more astray
Seek diligently wisdom, to heed well what I say

Then heed me,

Nor

give place to

"

The Pelted One

"

to

mock

at thee for aye,

When he sees that thou too wilt be as Tie is there

And then in thy dear world what shouldst thou find of gain ?
And what advantage suck thence that thou art for it fain ?
No single thing of lasting 'twould bring thee in its train
!

31.

32.

Reapedst thou its choicest, what couldst from out it bear ?

Or readest not how Solomon the Prophet, was, of old,
Both mighty King and Magus, whose word none might
,

withhold

Yet he by
33.

this world's witchery

was cozened and befooled

Came there then another, it would toss him high in air.

Full many are the gay sparks this world hath seen around,
And I myself have seen them where now may they be
found

Go, seek their habitations down deep beneath the ground,

Each upon the shelf of his sepulchre so drear
34. Yea, mighty men of wealth full many hath it seen
.

All sparkling and glistering like the noonday in its sheen,

Who storing hoards of ivory and treasuring unseen
35.

Heaps of gold and silver had piled them up with care.

For each in his wide world had sought out his affairs,
And each in his curt course would moil amidst his cares
In busying his brains with

Onward moving, eyes

Mammon's

closed, the

stocks

Doom

and

shares,

for to dare.

The Pelted, Shaitani rajimi in Swahili. (In Ar. Ash shaitanur rajlm),
30
BO called because the good angels are thought to be hurling the 'meteors seen
at night upon Satan and his angels as they come playing the eavesdropper
at the gates of paradise ; accordingly the Moslem pilgrims stone a certain
This custom has
pillar outside Mecca, which the devil is thought to haunt.
become part of the ritual of pilgrimage, and the pillar shares with the Evil One
in this epithet.
32

Selemanl

is

the native pronunciation of Ar. Sulaiman. N.B. How

the Book of Ecclesiastes and the Jewish

many interesting parallelisms with

Wisdom Literature
!

33
35

See note in

S.

Recension ad

loc.

" Their world was

[too] long and their earth [too] slight."
Explained by the proverbial expression, mambo makubwa, umrl mchache ;
our Ars longa, vita brevis. The limitations presented by the immensity of
Literally,

THE INKISHAFI
36.

How
To

toss they their chins all

front of

101

contemptuously on high

them and back of them

their clients

company,

And

everywhere they sit them, their guards in ranks thereby

Line up, good soldiers their errands for to bear.
37. And their's the high halls with their arabesques so white,

Where silvery lamps of crystal or of metal all

Make night as bright as day in that refulgent

y'dight
light

and beauty are wreathed about them there.

The lampstands too are massy, and the candelabra fine
'Tis true, I swear by Allah, whose bounty is divine
With pedestals of rare woods, both teak and ebenine,
Gleaming in long rows, their lights trimmed with care.
Brilliance

38.

39.

The vases that they range

And

all

the sconces

there are China's choicest ware

filigree, in art

beyond compare,

Encircling crystal goblets which they daintily upbear;

Sparkling in splendour midst all that bright gear.
40.

Those

halls of arabesques

The

long-galleried
Here voices of the

then reecho with the rout,

in and out

harem doth whisper,

home -born,

there servitor's prompt shout

Gleesomeness and gladness aye gayer and gayer

41. And what time, a-weary, soft slumbers they would woo,
Stand forth well-trained handmaidens to fan and to shampoo
With odalisques that singing skill to croon and to coo
!

Softly lulling lullabies o'er and o'er.

42. All goodly are their couches, their beds are exquisite,
With garnishing that choice is, in every part complete,

And

soft

and

silky pillows for the

head and the feet

Broidered are and braided with richness most rare.

43.

The folds of high curtains do screen them from

With canopies airy to o'ershadow them too

view,

Sweet waters and perfumes distil fragrant dew,

Unguents and attars sweet do drip adown their

hair"...

the universe, the wide world, and the narrow confined crib of circumstances are
expressed in Ulimwengu wao uli taili (for tawili) na dunia yao ill akali
(S. Auth.)
Or the line might be freely emended by altering sini to siti as follows :
39
The serving maids be damozels both young and passing fair.
43
This passage is taken by one Mombasa authority (Mwalimu Sikujua) to
refer to the beginning of the last long sleep of death in the case of a rich man
the corpses even of the poor are "medicated" with at least camphor, see under
"
word pamba in Krapf the rich might have costly unguents and ottoes" or
;

attars in addition.

73

THE INKISHAFI

102
44.

But now

all

that wealth of magnificence vast

Hath vanished quite away, for the Summons forth hath passed
Down, down to the Tomb, that bourne long and last,
45.

Down, midst the rubble and the dust sped the bier.
The City that has lodged them, no higher than a span

There nevermore on rug nor on carpet lieth man,

"Where corpses be invaded by putrefaction wan
Their's the

Tomb's

straitness, crib

46. Their cheeks are breaking

down

meagre and drear

in a cankering

dew

While ghastly corruption doth penetrate through

Their mouths and their nostrils make thoroughfares new
Each once bright countenance becomes a thing of fear
;

47.

To crawling uncleanness they

Carousing on their corpses

48.

it

yield a luscious food,

findeth them right good

With termite and emmet, making ravages rude,

Wireworms and centipedes coiling have a share.
Now black is each face which had beamed like the
Or buff, as of bear, or of filthy coarse baboon

sun,

Upshrivelled their skin and their beauty all gone,

Flesh from bone withered like rotten wood is sere.
49.

The Home they had dwelt in, now empty and lone,
Finds shelter for fledglings of doves that make moan
But of those who had

built

it,

Undisturbed cobweb festooneth

50.

not a voice, not a tone

it o'er.

In each inner courtyard the beetle it doth boom

cricket's chirp rings round the well-corniced room
;

The

Full strange shrills the sound neath the salamlic's dome

Laid in dust the glory midst desolation drear.
51. The niches in their rows still with porcelain incrust

Do

furnish each feathered fowl with a roost

Here snoreth the brown

owl, here gathereth most

or
Red-dove,
green-dove, to mate and to pair.

These stanzas have had to be considerably toned down from the

46, 47
sombre gruesomeness of the original, the sense of which is however sufficiently
faithfully given.

47
The termite or white ant in Africa plays actually the r61e which
the earthworm is supposed to fill in
popular imagination at home. Thus
far, the natural history here is correct.
"
50
makumbi ya-nde= the outer chambers." So, selamlik or salamlic
is the Turkish or
Egyptian reception room for the male guests.
51
Elaborate pieces of such architecture, inlaid with lovely old Persian
and
tiling
crockery, were still extant in the last century.

THE INKTSHAFI
52.

103

Young kestrels go poise on the pegs in the wall

The turtles bill and coo, moaning soft in the hall
Or preening their feathers the down make to fall
Jays and tomtits to their nests make repair.
;

53. O'ergrown are the forecourts with

bush and with brake,

And

undergrowth rank ruder increase will make

The darkling doors yawning do cause men to quake,

54.

Shadowing dimly shapes frightful with fear.

Ah, wilt not believe me ? dost think it is a lie ?
See, there is the place, man
go, strain both neck and
!

eye,

And

loud upon them

call

only echo makes reply

Voice of fellow mortals thou shalt hear nevermore.

55.

56.

My heart, of instruction e'en now thou hast a need,

But urgent I warn thee and safely I would lead;
Then bend low thine ear, mark me well and give heed
Haply shall the issue be made unto thee clear.
Or else have thou thy say, speak out in thy turn,
Nay, tell it forth plain, for the truth would I learn

Say where are the forbears of whom thou wast born ?

Gladly would I greet them and ask how they fare.
57.

Thou know'st not?

I'll

tell

thee;

come,

lend

me

thine

ear:

Each mother's son

is

gone to that bourne dark and drear,

lattice men to cheerSuch be the lodgings they are fain to use there.
Then tell where is Aly the son of old Nasir,
And where his great kinsman the Sheikh Abu-Bakr,
Where princely Idarus, and the knight Muhuthar?
Whither so far went they? else shew me, if near?
And famed Pate-Yunga's grim warriors, I ween,
Each one with a face like a falcon so keen ?
All, all, to those homes neath the sod have gone in
Power and pomp they display nevermore.

Where never opes window nor

58.

59.

it is quite
'Ali bin Nasir, a name still remembered in Pate tradition
58
If
possible that there have been two distinguished persons of the same name.
two contemporary Winston Churchills, how much more two 'Ali bin Nasirs
:

not contemporaries
59
kipanga (n. pi. zip-) of the Text may be the specialised form of
upangu = sword, falchion or the bird,/aicora strangely either is admissible in
the translation, though no doubt the latter was meant.
!

THE INKISHAFI

104
60.

What, you

my

old comrades, went ye too thither

ye Poets of mark and prowess

sunk to the same cells of straitness and

Ye Bards and
Gone

yes,

stress,

"Whealed your poor backs by the boards of the bier

61. Ye too, who once, Potentates and mighty Viziers,
Made progress forth faring with guards of soldiers,

Tomb on your biers

Bands of dread death do encompass you there
And ye too, just Judges, who judgment would shew

All hence be removed to the

62.

And

the learn'd in the

Law

all

concur in your view,

Who

dealing with moot points aye settled them true

Ne'er lay appeal from what ye pronounced fair
!

63.

Oh, could

but find you

now

all

out of sight

65.

and delight
Lord you commit
are not ye are missed, and that sore.
What sayest thou, heart? tell thy thoughts of these men;
Thou seest how the Lord hath lit on them with His Pen
But know now thyself art as they were found then
Or in man's lot hast thou only not a share
Oh, heart, be thou schooled, nor think still to scorn ;

66.

Depart from the evil, to the right ways return

If saved be thy friends, be thyself saved, nor burn
Evermore fuel for Jehannam's fierce fire.
Lo, hastens the Day when sub versed Earth shall be,

salve for sore eyes, heart's balm

to the mercies of the

Man can but

Ah me, ye

64.

And
And

the seven Heavens o'erturned in chaos horribly

plunging upon it Sun and Moon thou shalt see,

Scorching with a heat to be tempered nevermore.
67. On that day men's midriffs shall burn them in pain,

And
And

skulls be battered in, crusht

down upon the brain

a potsherd beneath that Sun's bane,

up
Ne'er o'er their heads to assuage its fell glare.
dried

like

68. Yea, skulls like the

dead leaves shall spin in that day,

And

each eyeball bulge from its socket right away

To what port or roadstead wouldst thou steer then,
Brother, shew

69.

me

whither

pray?

too there would steer.

Bethink thee, on the day of the Onset thou shalt see

Each several wrong action looming forth horribly

While each so injured mortal to the Judge bends the knee
Crying out for Vengeance on his tyrant

who

art there

THE INKISHAFI
70.

105

"Grant vengeance at length, Lord, on all his tyrannies,

In judgment that harder than any iron is !"

Then straightway

to

avenge them

th'

O'erpowering One* will

rise,

Wreaking on thee vengeance and judgment austere

And Recompense also for each victim shall be sought,
!

71.

Not of gold, were it nugget or artfully inwrought

Of silver they will none, nor given free, nor bought

Merit's stamp alone findeth currency there.

72. The man who nor merit nor deserts can make to pass,
All bitted he and bridled like a horse or an ass

whom his did harass,

Up and carry what they had else to bear
Then lastly, my heart, oh beware that hell of pain

Is saddled with their sins

Bidden,

73.

Wherein are stored the stocks and the

And

fetters

and the chain

He now

but to threaten them doth deign,

make
Submission
with: Lebeka
I am here!
Promptly
sith that

One of the 99 Moslem names of God on the Rosary or tasbih.

In the word Labeka (now pronounced commonly Lebeka) the Poem
comes to the conclusion of the whole matter.
Labeka
Here am I " is the
"
"
or " submissive
one can make of the
best sign that a Moslem a "yielded
Submission he professes to the claims of God on his conscience, so that here we
see that which it is the aim of the whole Poem to induce
but alas, it is just
here that Moslem doctrine stops
(There is no possible assurance of forgiveness
The elaboration of the various Mohammedan
of sin consistent with Justice. )
hells which follows in the present N. Text is accordingly a bathos.
See the
note ad loc. in the S. Piecension.
70
73

' '

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