Dholuo - the language

When I applied for the project, I mentioned on my application that I had lived and worked among the Luo people in the past, and knew some of the language. I do hope that wasn't the only reason I was accepted !

Dholuo is a Nilotic language, i.e. spoken by peoples who originally migrated into Uganda and Kenya from the Sudan and along the Nile. The official languages of Kenya are Kiswahili and English; there are also many other tribal languages spoken apart from Dholuo, for example, Maasai, Kikuyu, Luhya, Somali ...

So I have managed to find a language guide on the internet, plus vocabulary, both of which I have down-loaded and printed out. Now I'm walking around the house muttering to the cats 'Uthi nadi ?' hoping they will reply 'Wathi maber !'

I'm trying to remember and practice the things that Africans always want to know about you; who you are, where you come from, your family, etc. That's easy ... I can chat on about my children ...
'An gi nyathindo ang'wen. Kayo, L. Akoth; nyathi ariyo - J. Atieno; nathi adek - S. Adhiambo, gi chogo, T. Obong'o. Nyathindo oromo !'

(So what did I say ?) "I have four children. First born, L, born in the rainy season; second child J. born at night; third child S born in the afternoon; and last born, T a son amongst girls. That's enough children !"

Interesting ... childrens Luo names traditionally recall the time of day, or the season they were born, or their place in the family, or to remember someone who died as they were born. And girls names begin with an 'A', and boys with an 'O'. That's odd, you may think ... why does the young man pictured on the right have what must therefore be a womans name ? (It starts with an 'A'). Because he was born the day his mothers sister died, so he got her name, Adhiambo !

Tomorrow I must work out and practice things about who I am, where I come from, what I do/did.


And I'll maybe write a bit about the history of Nyanza ...