irima

Hinde (1904) records irrima as an equivalent of English ditch, hole, and game trap in “Jogowini dialect” of Kikuyu, listing also “Ulu dialect” (spoken then from Machakos to coastal area) of Kamba iima (“hole”) and “Nganyawa dialect” (spoken then in Kitui District) of Kamba nima (“hole”) as its equivalents.[1]

• IPA^(key): /ìɾìmàꜜ/

As for Tonal Class, Armstrong (1940) classifies this term into moondo class which includes mũndũ, huko, igego, igoti, inooro, irigũ, irũa, kĩbaata, kĩmũrĩ, kũgũrũ, mũciĩ, mũgeni, mũri, mwaki (“fire”), ndaka, ndigiri, njagathi, njogu, Mũrĩmi (“man's name”), etc.[2] Benson (1964) classifies this term into Class 1 with a disyllabic stem, together with ndaka, and so on.

• (Kiambu)

• (Limuru) As for Tonal Class, Yukawa (1981) classifies this term into a group including cindano, huko, iburi, igego, igoti, ini (pl. mani), inooro, irigũ, irũa, iturubarĩ (pl. maturubarĩ), kĩbaata, kĩmũrĩ, kũgũrũ, mũciĩ, mũgeni, mũgũrũki, mũmbirarũ, mũndũ, mũri, mũthuuri, mwaki (“fire”), mwario (“way of speaking”), mbogoro, nda, ndaka, ndigiri, ngo, njagathi, njogu, nyondo (“breast(s)”), and so on.[3]

irima class 5 (plural marima)

1. hole, pit

   Synonym: mũthongorima

(Proverbs)

• ngoro itiumanĩire/itiumanĩrĩire ta marima ma huko

• “irima” in Benson, T.G. (1964). Kikuyu-English dictionary. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

From -rima (“cultivate”).

irima class 5

1. (Kirundi) farming season, the time of year when plowing is done

   Synonym: (Rwanda) ihinga