Kendi has a wide vocabulary that she uses to get what she wants. Granted it is limited and lacking in basic grammar, but we get by. If you know her, you can work out what she’s saying and what she needs. It’s refreshing to not have to wonder what one cry or another means.
Also, she adds words to it every single day and that’s a blessing and fascinating to witness.
Also, she’s multilingual which is just really exciting. My uncle Moses suggested the other day that Kendi was not forming full sentences yet, because she’s multilingual. But when I reminded him that she was 16 months old, he seemed very surprised that she was able to speak so clearly and better yet, understand every word we each spoke to her (As you might be reading my post for the first time, I need to say that I only speak to Kendi is Dholuo and Martin my husband, only speaks to her in English)
Here is a confusing and fun list of the words Kendi uses. I have included an explanation because you might not know Kendi personally.
Word How Kendi says it |
Word What it really is |
Meaning |
Language of Origin |
Baba | Baba | Father | Swahili/ Dholuo |
Mama | Mama | Mother | Swahili/ Dholuo |
Babu | Babu | Grandfather | Swahili/ Dholuo |
Nana | Dana | Grandmother | Dholuo |
Meni | Mueni | Kendi’s nanny | N/A |
Tata | Tata | Aunty | Kikuyu |
Anana | Banana | N/A | English |
Tate | Mkate | Bread | Swahili |
Babuu | Balloon | N/A | English |
Chu | Juice/ Shoes | Depending on the context | Engligh |
Be | Pi | Water | Dholuo |
Ne | Ne | Look at that | Dholuo |
Ma | Mia | Give me | Dholuo |
Toto | Mtoto | Any child | Swahili |
Amaan | Amen | English | |
Nana | Mgongo | Back- ‘carry me on your back’ | Swahili |
Na | Chak | Milk | Dholuo |
Waauu | Wow | Beautiful/ smart | English |
Haaee | Hi | Hello | English |
Baaee | Bi | N/A | English |
Maning | Good morning | N/A | English |
Amin | I love you | N/A | English |