Kalenjin | |
---|---|
Geographic distribution |
western Kenya, eastern Uganda, northern Tanzania |
Linguistic classification |
Nilo-Saharan?
|
Subdivisions | |
ISO 639-2 / 5 | |
Glottolog | kale1246 |
The Kalenjin languages are a family of a dozen Southern Nilotic languages spoken in Kenya, eastern Uganda and northern Tanzania. The term Kalenjin comes from a Nandi expression meaning 'I say (to you)'. Kalenjin in this broad linguistic sense should not be confused with Kalenjin as a term for the common identity the Nandi-speaking peoples of Kenya assumed halfway through the twentieth century; see Kalenjin people and Kalenjin language.
The Kalenjin languages are generally distinguished into four branches. There is less certainty regarding internal relationships within these.