The following is the entry for this language as it appeared in the 14th edition (2000).
It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005). See also the corresponding entry in the current edition of Ethnologue.
| Population | 5,347,000 (1994 I. Larsen BTL) or 19.8% of the population (1987). |
| Region | West central Kenya, in Kiambu, Murang'a, Nyeri, and Kirinyaga districts, Central Province. |
| Alternate names | KIKUYU, GEKOYO, GIGIKUYU |
| Dialects | SOUTHERN GIKUYU (KIAMBU, SOUTHERN MURANG'A), NDIA (SOUTHERN kIRINYAGA), GICHUGU (NORTHERN kIRINYAGA), MATHIRA (KARATINA), NORTHERN GIKUYU (NORTHERN MURANG'A, NYERI). |
| Classification | Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, E, Kikuyu-Kamba (E.20). |
| Comments | 73% lexical similarity with Embu, 70% with Chuka, 67% with Kamba, 63% with Meru. Bilingualism in Swahili, English. The first consonant of the name 'Gikuyu' or 'Gekoyo' is a voiced velar fricative; the vowels are mid. Grammar. Literacy rate in first language: 30% to 60%. Literacy rate in second language: 75% to 100%. 95% of the children are in school. Mountain slope, hills, plains. Agriculturalists: sorghum, millet, beans, sweet potatoes, maize, potatoes, cassava, bananas, sugar cane, yams, fruit, tobacco, coffee, castor oil, tea, pyrethium, peas; animal husbandry: goats, sheep, cattle. Christian, traditional religion. Bible 1951-1965. |
