Ogiek language
| Ogiek | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Kenya, Tanzania |
| Region |
Kinare: Kinare, Kenya, on the eastern slope of the Rift Valley. Sogoo: Kenya, southern Mau forest between the Amala and Ewas Ng'iro rivers. Akiek: Tanzania, southern part of Arusha Region. |
| Ethnicity | Okiek |
|
Native speakers
|
79,000 in Kenya (2009 census) A few older speakers in Tanzania |
|
Nilo-Saharan?
|
|
| Dialects |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | |
| Glottolog | okie1245 |
| Linguasphere | 04-CAA-e |
Ogiek (also known as Okiek or Akiek; pronounced [oɡiɛk]) is a Southern Nilotic language cluster of the Kalenjin family spoken or once spoken by the Ogiek peoples, scattered groups of hunter-gatherers in Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania. Most if not all Ogiek speakers have assimilated to cultures of surrounding peoples: the Akiek in northern Tanzania now speak Maasai and the Akiek of Kinare, Kenya now speak Gikuyu. Ndorobo is a term considered derogatory, occasionally used to refer to various groups of hunter-gatherers in this area, including the Ogiek.
There are three main Ogiek varieties that have been documented, though there are several dozen named local Ogiek groups:
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