habitation

ɛnk-ají₁ Nom sg: ɛnk-ájì. Acc pl: ɨnk-ájíjík. Nom pl: ɨnk-ajijík. n. 1 • House, home. ɛnkají sápʉ̀k big house. The traditional Maasai house is "loaf"-shaped, and is constructed of mud, sticks, grass, cow dung and urine. In some areas, Samburu houses tend to be thatched with sisal fiber. Parts of the ɛnkají include: ɛsʉntáɨ̀ 'wall', ɨltulí lɛ́ nkají 'back of the house', kʉ́tʉ́k-ají 'door', ɛnkokórde 'front side extension of house', ɔlmáírròtò lɛ́ nkají 'corner of the house', shʉ́mátá 'roof', enkiperût 'eve' where roof extends over walls, elúsíé 'opening for smoke to escape'. On one side of the door is a room where baby sheep and goats stay. The other room is used for cooking and sleeping. The Maasai house is a woman's property and she does everything that has to be done to it. She builds, maintains, and repairs it. Among the Maasai, the house is used to guage the woman's ability to work hard. A shoddy or dirty house or utensils communicate the kind of woman who lives there. Most women earn their respect from others by the way they handle their houses. Esúújí is a lazy, shoddy woman who cannot maintain her house or build a good one. The rate at which a woman can build a house is also important. A quick and skilled builder is generally respected and held in high esteem by others. A slow and poor builder is called ɛntʉ́rúáí. Construction of the house proceeds as follows: Néítamanyɨ́ ɛnkají The house is designed, using side posts. Nɛ́bákɨ́ ɛnkɔ́p The ground is broken. Nétúrí ingumót Holes are dug. Néúní imbókìshì Side posts are planted. Nɛ́yɛ́nɨ́ ɨlkɨrɨ́nɛ̀n (sg. ɔlkɨ́rɨ́nɛ̀) Side posts are fastened, using double, long slender, freshly-cut sticks. These come in sets of three. Nɛ́pɨkɨ iréítà ɔ́ lɔ́ɔ̀m Little sticks are put in to mesh and seal the spaces between the posts. Nɛmʉrɨ ɨsʉntá The walls are plastered, using cow dung or mud from soil. The cow dung is fresh or has been mixed with cow urine to keep it soft. Straps called inkopít (sg. enkopitó)fasten sticks, posts, or rafters together. Nɛ́shɛtɨ ɨlɨaatuanɨ́(sg. ɔlɨaatúà)The inner walls are constructed, dividing the ɛnkají into rooms. The same construction process described above is used for the inner walls. At this point, a portion of the house can be casually roofed as a semi-permanent shelter, and is called ɔlŋɔ́bɔ́r. The casual roofing is made from a hide. Néshuki ɛnkají The house is roofed permanently, using ɨlɔ́ɔ̀m rafters, which are slender freshly-cut long stems from a special plant. First, néúní ɨŋápɛ̀tà (sg. ɛŋápɛ́) big poles are put into the ground. Nɛ́ɨ́rɨsharɨ́ ɛnkají Thick long sticks are put up to the house to assist the slender sticks in reinforcing the roof. Ɛmpɨ́kátá ɔ́ lkʉjɨ́tá shʉ́mátá Grass is put on the roof. Then ɛmʉ́rátá the roof is smeared using cow dung or mud. Ɛnkɨ́dɨ́pátá ɛ́ nkají The finishing of the house includes: Ɛmpɨ́kátá ɛ́ lúsíé Putting a small hole in the house to let out smoke from the fire. Ɛnáúnotó ɔ́ ɛmpɨ́kátá oó soitó lɛ́ nkɨ́má Bringing and arrangement of the permanent trio of fire stones. These are meant to guard, direct and keep all that pertains to the fire (i.e. charcoal, ashes, firewood), and to support the wire mesh that holds cooking pots above the fire. Ɛncɛ́tátá ɔ́ lkɨtárà Making of the cupboard for keeping cups, plates and other kitchen things. Ɛyɨ́kátá oó rúátìn (sg. ɛ-rúát) The stick-meshed beds are raised about 30 to 40 centimetres from the ground, as desired. Ɛsɨ́sɨ́nɛtá The shrubs are pressed to make a flat mattress which is put on the stick-meshed bed. (Beds can have a solid bush mattress, or can be hollow underneath.) Ɛyɨ́kátá ɛ́nɛpɨkɨ́ ilkeék The firewood shelf is raised. The internal furniture and spaces of the house include: irúátìn beds (sg. erúát). There are two to three beds, with at least one big (for the man) and one small (for the woman). ilálétà rooms (sg. ɔlálɛ́). One room is for baby goats and lambs, and the other for calves. olgóríèt corridor leading to the door. ɨlkɨtaraní cupboards (sg. ɔlkɨtárà) for keeping cutlery and other utensils. inkutót little sub-sections (sg. enkútótó), mostly formed by corners in the house and used for temporarily keeping calabashes. ɨndʉkʉyaní the heads of the beds (sg. dʉ́kʉ́yà), slightly behind where the head rests during sleep. Calabashes are kept here permanently, especially at the head of the small bed. kɛjɛ́k ɛ ndápásh the feet of the bed, in the direction of the person's feet while sleeping. Most beds slope, with dʉ́kʉ́yà where the head rests being higher than kɛjɛ́k where the feet rest. orunkú (pl. irunkûn) the space between the bed and the floor, or between the lower part of the small bed and the wall. This area is used for storing honey beer for ceremonies. ɛnkʉ́tʉ́k ɛ́rùàt (pl. inkʉ́tʉ́kíé orúatín) the edge (door) of the bed, which also serves as a seat. ɔltírén (pl. iltírénìtò) the floor of the house, especially the area around the fire place and beds. kʉ́tʉ́kají the door of the house. ɛnkʉ́tʉ́k ɔlálɛ́ the door to the kids, lambs, and calves' rooms. ɛnkʉ́tʉ́k ɔ́lɨtárà the door of the cupboard. ɛnkɨ́má the three little stone walls for burining pieces of firewood and cooking food. ilkeék pieces of firewood for cooking food and warming the house. See: [North] n-kórrímpâ ‘Small house’; e-surúsurî ‘Abandoned house’; o-séêt ‘Small house for shepherds’; en-kisonó ‘Abandoned house’.

2 • Family; clan. Eéwùò ɛnkájì ɔ́lɛ̀ Sempé. The family of Ole-Sempe has come.

olk-ají Big house. See: ɔl-ají ‘Age set’.

ɛm-bɔɔ́ Nom sg: ɛm-bɔ́ɔ̀. Acc pl: ɨm-bóóítíé. Nom pl: ɨm-bootíé. [Purko] Nom pl: ɨm-bóóítíé. [North] Acc pl: bóótíé. n. 1 • Cattle-enclosure, with a fence typically made of thorn bushes; kraal, cattle pen. The typical parts of ɛm-bɔɔ́ include: ɛnk-ají 'house' or houses located around the inner perimeter; ɛm-bɨ́rrɨ̀sh 'space in front of a house;' e-sitá 'thorn fence around the ɛm-bɔɔ́;' ol-osinkó 'center of the ɛm-bɔɔ́;' en-dúŋórotó 'yard or pen within the ɛm-bɔɔ́;' and ɔl-álɛ́ 'young-animal pen'.

2 • Homestead, compound. Átɔ́dùàà náají ɛntʉ́rkulɨ̀ naɨnɔsɨ́tà ɨlkʉ́rt tɛ̀ mpɔ́lɔ̂s ɛ́ bɔ̀ɔ̀. I have seen a dove eating worms in the middle of the homestead. (Pk).

bɔɔ́ n.r. Outside, particularly outside the house. Shɔ́mɔ̀ bɔɔ́ Go outside into the kraal. (Pk). Tɛ́ bɔ́ɔ̀ átúdúmùà. I collected it outside. (Pk). Tɔɔ́ nkúápì ɛ́ bɔɔ́ yɛ́wuakɨ́. It is brought from the foreign countries. (Pk). Ilálá áàrè ɔɨ́pɨ̀kʉ̀ bɔɔ́ ɛɛ́tà olbitír. A warthog has two tusks that project conspicuously outside. (Pk).

a-kɛ́r v. To restrict; deny access to other people. See: ɔl-ɔkɛrɨ́ ‘Grazing field set apart for calves; pasturage’.

ɛ-mányátá Nom sg: ɛ-manyatá. Acc pl: ɨ-manyát. Nom pl: ɨ-mányát??. n. 1 • Ceremonial home, intended to keep men of the same age set together, who serve as a military force. This camp may contain 20 to 40 houses, as well as a large ceremonial home. An ɛmányátá is made on three occasions during the life of an age set. The first ɛmányátá is made when a group of boys is about to be circumcised. The boys move here, and request permission from their fathers to take their mothers along, who will build an ɛnkají. (The husbands of the women may not always want their wives to relocate to the camp, especially as some of the women may be closer in age to some of the soon-to-be-warriors and their former lovers.) The boys stay at the ɛmányátá for at least several months until the ɛmányátá é mowuo ɔ́ lkɨ̀tɛ̀ŋ ceremony is completed and they become ɨlmʉ́rràn, or warriors. For some groups, the ɨlmʉ́rràn may stay in the ɛ-mányáta for up to ten years prior to the e-únótó ceremony, when they become elders. For others, the ɨlmʉ́rràn relocate to an ɛmányátá, again with certain of their mothers, for the eúnótó ceremony. After the eúnótó ceremony there are two minor ceremonies, shaving of the head, and aók kʉlɛ́ 'to drink milk'. At that point the men are ɨlkaɨrɨ́sh, and are free to marry as adults. At marriage, men become ɔlpayíán (thus, the ɨlkaɨrɨ́sh stage is very short). Third, the ɨlpayianí relocate to an ɛmányátá for the ɔlŋɛshɛ́r ceremony, when they become senior elders.

2 • Village, settlement.

3 • Potential or former place or area in which to live. See: a-mán ‘To surround’; a-mány ‘To dwell’; ɛ-manyɨ́shɔ̀ ‘Dwelling’; (ɛnk-)áŋ ‘Kraal’; l-orórà [North] ‘Village’. Syn: l-orórà [North] ‘Warrior village RELIABILITY’.

e-murúà Nom sg: tone shouldn't be e-múrûâ - i.e., one, versus two moras on end?. Acc pl: i-murúá. Nom pl: i-múrùà. [North] Acc sg: murúà. [North] Acc pl: múruáí. n. 1 • Star grass. Órè emurúà nanɔ́rɨ̀ náà sídáí. Green grass is good. (W).

2 • Settlement area.

3 • Inhabitants of a settlement area. Ɛ́gɨ́rà ɔláígúɛ́nání ashukú ɨ́nâ báɛ̀ peê èpùò emúrúá áígùànàrɛ̀. The chief has referred (returned) that issue so that it can be dealt with by the people of the area. (Pk).

4 • Flourishing field which has re-grown over an abandoned settlement area; the manure which has been left provides fertilizer.

5 • Manyatta that is destroyed when it is left. See: míjóonì ‘abandoned manyatta’.