Kikamba language
Encyclopedia
The Kamba language, or Kikamba, is a Bantu
language spoken by the Kamba people of Kenya
. It is spoken by 5,000 people in Tanzania
(Thaisu).
The Kamba language has lexical similarities to other Bantu languages such as Kikuyu, Meru
, and Embu
.
In Kenya, Kamba is spoken in four major regions of Kamba
Land. These regions are Machakos
, Kitui
, Makueni and Mwingi
. The Machakos variety is considered the standard variety of the four dialects and has been used in the translation of the Bible.
Bantu languages
The Bantu languages constitute a traditional sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages. There are about 250 Bantu languages by the criterion of mutual intelligibility, though the distinction between language and dialect is often unclear, and Ethnologue counts 535 languages...
language spoken by the Kamba people of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. It is spoken by 5,000 people in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
(Thaisu).
The Kamba language has lexical similarities to other Bantu languages such as Kikuyu, Meru
Meru language
Meru is the language spoken by the Meru people who live on the Eastern and Northern slopes of Mount Kenya, Kenya, Africa and on the Nyambene ranges. They settled in this area after centuries of migration from the north.-Tradition:...
, and Embu
Embu language
Kîembu is a Bantu language of Kenya and spoken by the Aembu or Embu people. ISO 639-3 code is ebu....
.
In Kenya, Kamba is spoken in four major regions of Kamba
Kamba
The Kamba are a Bantu ethnic group who live in the semi-arid Eastern Province of Kenya stretching east from Nairobi to Tsavo and north up to Embu, Kenya. This land is called Ukambani. Sources vary on whether they are the third, fourth or the fifth largest ethnic group in Kenya...
Land. These regions are Machakos
Machakos
Machakos is a town in Kenya, 64 kilometres southeast of Nairobi. It is the capital of the Machakos District in Eastern Province of Kenya. Machakos Town is a major rural centre, and also a satellite town due to its proximity to Nairobi. Its population is rapidly growing and is 192,117...
, Kitui
Kitui
Kitui is a town in Kenya, 130 kilometers east of Nairobi and 75 kilometers east of Machakos. It used to be the capital of the Kitui District in Eastern Province of Kenya. Due to political reforms, Kitui is now the headquarters of Kitui County, which covers a larger area than the former district did...
, Makueni and Mwingi
Mwingi
Mwingi District is one of the seventy-one districts of Kenya, located in that country's Eastern Province. The district has a population of 303.828 . Its capital is the Mwingi town.Local people are mostly of the Akamba tribe...
. The Machakos variety is considered the standard variety of the four dialects and has been used in the translation of the Bible.