Dialects
The Meru people are a fairly homogeneous community and all share a common ancestry. They speak the same language, Kimeru, with slight regional differences in accent and local words. The community comprises the following subdivisions, from the north to south:
- Igembe
- Tigania (Tiania) (culture close to neighbouring Cushitic and Nilotic communities)
- Imenti
- Tharaka (Saraka)
- Igoji
- Mwimbi–Muthambi
- Chuka (Gicuka)
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 used by the Mwïmbï, Kïmüthambï used by the Müthambï, Gicuka used by the Chuka and Kitharaka used by the Tharaka.
Imenti
It is the commonly used dialect in Meru. The dialect acts as the lingua franca between all the nine subtribes of Meru. It is the official dialect used in the Kimeru Bible translations. It is commonly used in Nkubu, Timau, Kibirichia, Meru town and Ruiri areas of Meru County.
Chuka, Muthambi and Mwimbi
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.
Tigania and Igembe
The dialects are mostly spoken in Miraa or Khat growing areas of Muthara, Karama, Kangeta, Maua, Laare and Mutuati in Meru County.
Tharaka
The dialect is more closely related to the Kamba and Tigania dialects. It is most common in Tharaka areas of Tharaka Nithi County.
Grammar
Noun classes
Kimeru has sixteen noun classes as tabulated below. the classes are grammatical and represent how words fit into sentences. Of the noun classes, classes 1, 3, 4, 9 and ten are irregular while the rest are regular. This implies that verbal, adjectival and conjunction concords are not the same.
Example class 1 verses class 2. class 1- Muntũ ũjũ mũraja auma Nairobi. class 2- Antũ baba baraja bauma Nairobi.
Class 1-This tall person has come from Nairobi. Class 2. These tall people have come from Nairobi. In class 1 demonstrative 'this' is ũjũ, with ũ as its concord. The adjective -raja has mũ as its concord and the verb uma has a as its concord hence 'auma'. On the other hand in class two each of the above cases have ba as a concord. The difference is only in ũjũ and baba as demonstratives is that all strong classes use double concords as demonstratives.
| Noun class | Exam | This/These | Adjectival | Verbal |
|---|
| 1- 'Müũ | Mũkũrũ | Ũjũ | Mũ-raja | A-kwija |
|---|
| 2-Ba | Akũrũ | Baba | Ba-raja | Ba-kwija |
|---|
| 3-Mũ | Mũti | ũũ/ũjũ | Mũ-raja | ũ-kũgwa |
|---|
| 4-Mĩ | Mĩtĩ | ĩjĩ/ĩno | Mĩ- raja | ĩ- kũgwa |
| 5- Ri | Riitho | Rĩrĩ | Rĩ-nene | Rĩ-kwona |
| 6- Ma | Meetho | Jaja/Mama | Ma-nene | Ma-kwona |
| 7-Kĩ | Kĩara | Gĩkĩ | Kĩ-nene | Gĩ-kworonta |
| 8-Bĩ | Bĩara | Bĩbi | Bï-nene | Bï-kworonta |
| 9-Ng' | Ng'ombe | Ïjï/Ïno | Ï-nene | Ï-güküra |
| 10-Ng' | Ng'ombe | Ijï/Ino | I-nene | I-güküra |
| 11-Rü | Rüreme | Rürü | Rü-raja | Rü-gücuna |
| 10- Ng' | Ndeme | Ijï/Ino | I- ndaja | I-gücuna |
| 12-Ka | Kana | Gaka | Ka-nini | Ga-gükena |
| 13-Tü | Twana | Tütü | Tü-nini | Tü-gükena |
| 14- Bü | Ücürü | Bübü | Bü-rüru | Bü-küthira |
| 15-Kü | Kügürü | Gükü | Gü-künene | Gü-gükinya |
| 16-A | Antü | Aja/aa | A-nene | A-kürïmwa |
Kimeru follows Dahl's law thus a "K" syllable cannot follow a "K' syllable.
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