Kipsigis (Kıpsıkııs)

Kipsigis is a member of the Kalenjin group of Southern Nilotic languages. It is spoken by about 1.9 million people in the southwest of Kenya, particularly in Kericho and Bomet counties in Rift Valley Province.

Kipsigis is also known as Kapsigiis, Kipsikii, Kipskikiis or Lumbwa. It is closely related to Nadi, Elgeyo and South Tugen and Cherangany. Kipsigis can be written with the Latin alphabet.

Kipsigis alphabet

Download an alphabet chart for Kipsigis (Excel)
Details of the Kipsigis alphabet (PDF) provided by Wolfram Siegel.

Notes

Kipsigis has a vowel harmony system in which words contain either the vowels sounds [a], [e], [i], [o] and [u], or [ɑ], [ɛ], [ɪ], [ɔ] and [ʊ].
Kipsigis has a high tone, a high falling tone, a rising tone and a low tone. These are not indicated in writing.

Some phrases in Kipsigis

Chamgei = Hello
Yamonei = How are you?
Achamgei = I'm fine
Amunee Tupchoshek? = How is your family?
Atinye nego = I have a sheep and goats
Amache atorochin = I want to hug you
Siketuyen saishek alak = See you some other time
Betut nemie = Have a good day

Source: https://lughayangu.com/post/common-kipsigis-words-and-their-meaning

Sample videos

Links

Information about Kipsigis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kipsigis_language
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kipsikis
http://www.language-archives.org/language/sgc
https://phoible.org/inventories/view/1387
https://lughayangu.com/post/common-kipsigis-words-and-their-meaning

Nilotic languages

Acholi, Adhola, Alur, Anuak, Ateso, Bari, Belanda Bor, Datooga, Dholuo, Dinka, Dongotono, Kakwa, Karamojong, Keiyo, Kipsigis, Kuku, Kumam, Kupsabiny, Lango (South Sudan), Lango (Uganda), Lopit, Lotuko, Maasai, Mandari, Markwet, Nandi, Nuer, Nyangatom, Nyepu, Terik, Toposa, Tugen, Turkana

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 13.11.24. Last modified: 15.02.26

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