Rendille (Afi Renꞌdille)

Rendille is a member of the Lowland East Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. It is spoken by about 96,000 Rendille people in northern Kenya, particlarly in the towns of Marasbit, Laisamis, Merille, Log Logo, Loiyangalani, Korr, Karare, Ngurunit, Kamboi, Namarei and Kargi in the west of Marsabit County in the north of the Eastern Province.

Rendille is also known as Rendile or Randile, and is possibly a distant relative of Somali. Rendille speakers call their language Afi Renꞌdille. The word Rendille means 'Holders of the Stick of God'. It is written with the Latin alphabet, and there is a Rendille translation of the New Testament of the Bible.

Rendille alphabet

Download an alphabet chart for Rendille (Excel)

Notes

When between vowels, H' may be pronounced [ʕ].
Voiced sounds become voiceless at the ends of words.
B is pronounced [p] when preceding H', and [β] between vowels.
D is pronounced [ð] between vowels.
Kh may be pronounced [qχ] after nasal sounds.

Sample text

Yeesso la wihi us icho iyidah, “Geedda atin weysattaan waha daha, “ ‘Aabbahaanyaaw, magahaahki munyee a liinkaanyito, at ba enenyet tuumman dakhatta.
Gololeenyoki maan dakkhan nah sii.
Uskeeleenyo nah ikakut, iꞌdi nah laka ꞌdooꞌdi uskeel nah iyeele uskeel ikakunnuu. Toro la kajmeti uskeel nah kaluguꞌddo nah kajeyi.’ ”

Source: https://www.bible.com/en-GB/bible/2277/LUK.11.REL

Translation

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
The Lord's Prayer - Luke 11: 2-4

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.11.KJV

Sample videos in and about Rendille

Links

Information about Rendille
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendille_language
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendille_people
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendille_(Sprache)
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Рендилле_(язык)
http://olac.ldc.upenn.edu/language/rel
https://www.sil.org/resources/search/language/rel

Cushitic languages

Afaan-Oromo, Afar, Awngi, Beja, Blin, Daasanach, Dirasha, Gawwada, Hadiyya, Iraqw, Maay Maay, Rendille, Saho, Sidama, Somali, Southern Oromo, Waata, Xamtanga

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 27.11.24. Last modified: 27.11.24

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