Etymology
Hinde (1904) records muratta and munduitu as equivalents of English friend in “Jogowini dialect” of Kikuyu.[1]
Pronunciation
- The first a is pronounced long.[2][3]
- As for Tonal Class, Armstrong (1940) classifies this term into mbori class which includes mbũri, ikinya (pl. makinya), itimũ, kĩhaato, maguta, mbembe, mũgeka, nyaga, ũhoro, riitho, riũa, rũrĩmĩ, Kamau (“man's name”), etc.[4] Benson (1964) classifies this term into Class 3 with a disyllabic stem, together with kĩhaato, mbembe, kiugo, and so on. Yukawa (1981) classifies this term into a group including bũrũri (pl. mabũrũri), ikara, ikinya, itimũ, kanitha (pl. makanitha), kiugo, kĩhaato, maguta, mũgeka, mũkonyo, mwana, mbembe, mbũri, nyaga, riitho, riũa, rũrĩmĩ (pl. nĩmĩ), ũhoro (pl. mohoro), and so on.[5] Clements (1984) classifies this term into “HL class” corresponding to Armstrong's mbori class and Benson's disyllabic 3, together with mwana, mũgeka, and Kamau.[6]
References
Barlow, A. Ruffell (1960). Studies in Kikuyu Grammar and Idiom, p. 234.
“mũrata” in Benson, T.G. (1964). Kikuyu-English dictionary, p. 372. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Clements, George N. (1984). "Principles of tone assignment in Kikuyu." In Clements, G.N. and J.A. Goldsmith (eds.) Autosegmental studies in Bantu tone, pp. 281–339. Dordrecht: Mouton de Gruyter; Foris Publications. →ISBN