kanua

Kikuyu

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *kànʊ̀à.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kànùà(ꜜ)/

As for Tonal Class, Benson (1964) classifies this term into Class 1.

• (Kiambu)
  • (Limuru) As for Tonal Class, Yukawa (1981) classifies this term into a group including cindano, huko, iburi, igego, igoti, ini (pl. mani), inooro, irigũ, irũa, iturubarĩ (pl. maturubarĩ), kĩbaata, kĩmũrĩ, kũgũrũ, mũciĩ, mũgeni, mũgũrũki, mũmbirarũ, mũndũ, mũri, mũthuuri, mwaki (“fire”), mwario (“way of speaking”), mbogoro, nda, ndaka, ndigiri, ngo, njagathi, njogu, nyondo (“breast(s)”), and so on.

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Noun

kanua class 12 (plural tũnua)

1. mouth

Meronyms

• igego, rũrĩmĩ, kĩromo

Derived terms

(Proverbs)

• gũtema na kanua ti gũtema na rũhiũ
• iri kanua iri o nda
• irĩ kanua itirĩ nda
• kanua karĩ mata gatiagaga wa kuuga
• kanua karĩa karĩire mbeũ noko koragia 'ngahanda kĩ?'
• kanua kendagia kĩongo
• kanua kene gatinyuaga muma
• kanua nĩ ikahũ
• kanua njero, na mucii ndukomeka ni heho
• kanua werĩire
• kanyamũ koru karoragwo na kanua
• mĩano ndĩtukanagio no kanua
• njĩra nguhĩ no ya kanua

See also

• ikai, mũmero, mũromo

References

• “kanua” in Benson, T.G. (1964). Kikuyu-English dictionary, p. 284. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Further reading

• Kikuyu Language online: vocabulary and conversation practice (retrieved 7th January 2016)