The following Samburu words are not directly related to milk fermentation and storage. They are organized by broad subject.

Animals

lkutu, n. Substitute calf. Orphan calf wearing the skin of a dead calf to induce the adoptive mother to allow it to nurse.

nkerr, n. Sheep.

nkiné, n. Goat.

nkiteng, n. Cow.

ntames, n. Camel.

sikiria, n. Donkey. Kule sikiria (donkey milk) is used by the Samburu as a medicine for babies and small children with whooping cough.

Climate and Landscape

lkees, n. Pronunc. luh-kees’. Lowland savannah range, for example, grazing land around Wamba, Barsaloi, and Swari in Kenya.

lpusani, n. A perfect time of year, when the grass is ideally balanced between wet and dry, the milk is sweet, and the animals are fat.

Community / People

allani, n. A dirty man. Not clean or careful; irresponsible; disorganized.

keilopilopa, adj. Eating food before it is ready to serve. 

kerper, n. Rich, meaty soup.

manyatta, n. A collection of huts.

mara rutushoi, n. Not eating alone; eating together.

naasho, n. Blemish.

ngai, n. God.

nkalani, n. A dirty woman.

ntakan, n. A clean woman.

XXX, n. A single hut.

Food

nairucha, adj. Pronunciation: nye-roh’-sha. Heavy.

kenana, n. The best meat.

kogol, n. Tough meat or hard fat. Refers to the meat of old milk cows and bulls, as well as some wild meats, such as buffalo and giraffe. 

lkisiich, n. Ghee that has liquified.

lng’amati, n. One serving of cooked meat. In the bush, this is cut after it has been roasted. In the manyatta, the mamma will cut it into the right number of pieces before cooking.

lpusan, n. A very sweet lowland fruit that is ripe during the dry time.

makaat, n. Salt. As an adjective, salty.

manaagu, n. Edible leaves. Long, pointed, soft leaves that are cooked and eaten.

naimot, n. Satisfied (re: eating).

namit tau, n. Very little food, only enough to keep you alive. Like ugali, not the best food.

ndaa e siran, n. Morning meal of milk, 0700-0900 hours.

ndaa e parkiji, n. Midday meal of milk or buttermilk; 1200 hours.

ndaa e teipa, n. Evening meal of milk or milk and blood; 2000-2100 hours.

ng’idongo, n. Sheep tail fat.

niatta, n. Fat.

nkima, n. Fire.

ntolit, n. Bone marrow.

rutushoi, n. Someone eating alone; a glutton.

sainanyori, n. Single-strand necklace of small, green glass beads worn by uncircumcised boys.

siret, n. Organ fat from intestines, heart, kidney, or other.

supati, n. Good food.

More

Use the following links to explore additional content collected through the Samburu Milk Project.

Introduction to the Samburu Milk Project
Dictionary Methodology and Acknowledgements
Stages of Milk Fermentation
Milk Taste and Texture Terms
Types of Milk Containers (Lmalasin)
Botanicals for Lmala Preparation
The Culture of Milk — Idioms and Expressions
Milk, Music and Religion — scheduled completion in late 2025
Milking Songs — scheduled completion in late 2025

This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel. 

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Published by William Rubel

I am an author who writes about traditional food and foodways. My book, The Magic of Fire (2002) is about hearth cooking. I have written an introductory history of bread, Bread, a global history (2011) and am currently writing a history of bread for the University of California Press. Other areas of interest include wild mushrooms, and specifically the treatment of Amanita muscaria in the historic record. I also write about Early Modern British Gardens, and for a more general audience, I write for Mother Earth News on bread, gardening, and more. I have an ongoing research project into the smoke-cured fermented milk of the Kenyan Samburu tribe. I am a co-director of the Samburu Lowlands Research Station, Lengusaka. I am the founding editor (1972) of Stone Soup, the magazine of writing and art by young people.

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