Agikuyu
/ˌɑːɡɪˈkuːjuː/noun
An English plural ethnonym for the Gikuyu people of central Kenya, also called the Kikuyu.
Did you know?In Gikuyu tradition, the founding ancestor Gikuyu was placed by the creator deity near a sacred mugumo fig tree, making the tree a powerful symbol of ancestry and divine connection.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial tradition
Gikuyu
Gikũyũ
“The name of the ancestral male founder in Gikuyu origin tradition; its deeper linguistic derivation is not certain.”
Precolonial tradition
Gikuyu
Mũkũyũ
“The sacred fig tree associated with Gikuyu’s origin story; popular explanations connect the people’s name with this tree, though the etymology is debated.”
19th Century
English
Kikuyu
“The spelling adopted in English and colonial writing for the people and their language.”
20th Century
English
Agikuyu
“An English plural form reflecting the Gikuyu self-designation more closely than the older form Kikuyu.”
Modern English
English
Agikuyu
“A recognized ethnonym for the Gikuyu people, one of Kenya’s major ethnic communities.”