Meru is the language spoken by the Meru people who live on the Eastern and Northern slopes of Mount Kenya, Kenya, Africa and on the Nyambene ranges. They settled in this area after centuries of migrationfrom the north. The Meru people are a fairly homogeneous community and all share a common ancestry. They speak the same language, Kimeru, but there are some slight regional differences, in accent and localwords. The community comprises the following subdivisions; from the north to south:
Igembe
Tigania
Imenti
Tharaka
Igoji
Mwimbi–Muthambi
Chuka (marginal intelligibility with Meru proper and with Gikuyu.
As the Meru language is similar to its surrounding neighbors, the Kikuyu and Embu could have possibly adopted parts of Meru.
Kimeru has seven main mutually intelligible dialects. The dialects include kiimenti widely used by the Imenti section of the Ameru, Tiania/gitiania used by the tigania, kiigembe used by the Igembe, kimwimbi and Muthambi used by the Igoji and Chogoria, Gicuka used by the Chuka and Kitharaka used by the Tharaka.
Imenti dialect
It is the commonly used dialect in meru. The dialect acts as the lingua franca between all the nine sub tribes of meru. It is the official dialect used in the kimeru Bible translations. Unlike other Meru dialects, the Imenti dialect is usually not entirely sing-song and bit slow. Its commonly used in Nkubu, Timau, Kibirichia, Meru town and Ruiri areas of Meru County.
Sample phrases
The Chuka, Muthambi and Mwimbi dialects
The dialects are more related to Gikuyu and Meru proper, and are common in Igoji, Chogoria and Chuka regions of Meru County and Tharaka Nithi County.
Sample phrases
TIgania and Igembe dialects
The dialects can be identified by its unmistakable sing-song and fast spoken intonations. It can be heard mostly in Miraa or khat growing areas of Muthara, Karama, Kangeta, Maua, Laare and Mutuati in Meru County.
Sample phrases
Tharaka dialect
The dialect is more closely related to the kamba and Tigania dialects. It mostly common in Tharaka areas of Tharaka nithi County.
Sample phrases
Alphabet
Kimeru is written in a Latin alphabet. It . The Kimeru alphabet is:
A Kenyan musical group known as High Pitch Band Afrika based in Meru County has done a cover of the Luis Fonsi's popular hit singleDespacito in Kimeru language. The Kimeru cover was uploaded on YouTube on July 10 2017 and has generated over 500,000 views since then. In Media the Kimeru language is used as the primary broadcast language of several Radio and TV stations in Kenya. Some include: Meru Fm, Muuga Fm, Weru Fm, Weru TV, Baite Tv, Thiiri Fm among many others.
