Kikuyu
/kɪˈkuːjuː/noun
A member of a Bantu-speaking people of central Kenya, or the language they speak.
Did you know?Kikuyu is the English form of an ethnonym for the Gĩkũyũ people, and unlike many “mystery” words online, its origin is rooted in real African linguistic history rather than occult symbolism.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial era
Gĩkũyũ
Gĩkũyũ
“The name of the people and language in their own language”
19th Century
English
Kikuyu
“An English rendering of the ethnonym used for the people of central Kenya”
20th Century
English
Kikuyu
“Standard English ethnonym for the people, language, and related cultural identity”
Modern English
English
Kikuyu
“A member of the Kikuyu people or the Kikuyu language”