irima

Kikuyu

Etymology

Hinde (1904) records irrima as an equivalent of English ditch, hole, and game trap in “Jogowini dialect” of Kikuyu, listing also “Ulu dialect” (spoken then from Machakos to coastal area) of Kamba iima (“hole”) and “Nganyawa dialect” (spoken then in Kitui District) of Kamba nima (“hole”) as its equivalents.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ìɾìmàꜜ/

As for Tonal Class, Armstrong (1940) classifies this term into moondo class which includes mũndũ, huko, igego, igoti, inooro, irigũ, irũa, kĩbaata, kĩmũrĩ, kũgũrũ, mũciĩ, mũgeni, mũri, mwaki (“fire”), ndaka, ndigiri, njagathi, njogu, Mũrĩmi (“man's name”), etc. Benson (1964) classifies this term into Class 1 with a disyllabic stem, together with ndaka, and so on.

• (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.

Noun

irima class 5 (plural marima)

1. hole, pit

   Synonym: mũthongorima

Derived terms

(Proverbs)

• ngoro itiumanĩire/itiumanĩrĩire ta marima ma huko

References

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

Rwanda-Rundi

Etymology

From -rima (“cultivate”).

Noun

irima class 5

1. (Kirundi) farming season, the time of year when plowing is done

   Synonym: (Rwanda) ihinga