| Kalenjin | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution: |
western Kenya, eastern Uganda, northern Tanzania |
| Linguistic classification: | Nilo-Saharan?
|
| Subdivisions: | |
| ISO 639-2 and 639-5: | kln |
The Kalenjin languages are a group of twelve related Southern Nilotic languages spoken in Kenya, eastern Uganda and northern Tanzania. The term Kalenjin comes from a Nandi expression meaning 'I say (to you)'. Kalenjin in this broad linguistic sense should not be confused with Kalenjin as a term for the common identity the Nandi-speaking peoples of Kenya assumed halfway the twentieth century; see Kalenjin and Kalenjin language.
The Kalenjin languages are generally distinguished into four branches. There is less certainty regarding internal relationships within these.