Nairobi
/naɪˈroʊbi/noun
The capital and largest city of Kenya, located in the country’s south-central highlands.
Did you know?The city grew from a railway depot established in 1899, near a Maasai watering site known as Enkare Nyrobi.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Maa
Enkare Nyrobi
“A place of cool or cold water”
Late 19th Century
Maa
Ewaso Nyirobi
“A Maasai name associated with the cool-water stream or river in the area”
1899
English colonial usage
Nairobi
“The name applied to the railway depot established in the area”
1907
English
Nairobi
“Capital of the British East Africa Protectorate”
Modern English
English
Nairobi
“Capital and largest city of Kenya”