Waata Language Documentation

Language	Waata
Depositor	Nancy Jumwa Ngowa, Micheal Otieno Maua
Affiliation	Pwani University
Location	Kenya
Collection ID	0735
Grant ID	SG0760
Funding Body	ELDP
Collection Status	Collection online
Landing Page Handle	http://hdl.handle.net/2196/178be039-c5b2-40e5-afd1-cecd6efb864f

 

Summary of the collection

English: The deposit will involve the documentation of the Waata Language, funded by ELDP 2023 – 2024. This project will consist of a linguist, two language consultants (native speakers) and six language assistants, who will all be involved in the collection, transcription, glossing and translation of the data. The deposited data will comprise recordings of weddings and circumcision ceremonies, narratives, folk stories, poems, songs, dances, proverbs and normal day-to-day conversations and on selected topics such as beekeeping, discussions on names of trees and their value in the Waata community, descriptions of cultural practices and their meaning in the past and present. All this information will be both in English and Kiswahili.

Swahili: Hifadhi hii itahusisha nakili ya lugha ya Waata, ambao ni mradi uliofadhiliwa na ELDP kutoka 2023-2024. Mradi huu utaendeshwa na mwanaisimu mmoja, wazungumzi wa lugha ya kiWaata wawili na wasaidizi sita ambao wote watahusika na kukusanya data, unukuzi, ufafanuzi na tafsiri ya data hiyo. Data itakayohifadhiwa itakuwa ni sherehe za harusi, tohara, simulizi, ngano, mashairi, nyimbo, ngoma, methali na mazungumzo ya kila siku katika mada teule kama vile ufugaji wa nyuki, majadiliano ya majina ya miti na umuhimu wao katika jamii ya Waata, maelezo ya shughuli mbalimbali za utamaduni na umuhimu wa shughuli hizi hapo kale na sasa. Taarifa hii itakuwa katika lugha ya Kiingereza na Kiswahili.

 

Group represented

English: The group represented in this deposit is the Waata people. The Waata is an Afro-Cushitic language with speakers from Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania. The Waatha are considered to be the aboriginal inhabitants of the Coast of Kenya. They were hunters and gatherers until the 1940s when Kenya abolished poaching. They used to exchange honey and some game meat with their Agricultural neighbours. The documentation of the Waata language will be carried out in Gede region in the Mijomboni villages, which are about 8km from the Mombasa -Malindi highway. A lot of gratitude goes to the family of Mzee Mashauri Guyo who accepted to provide his homestead to host the workshops and any other activities that would require such a set up.

Swahili: Kundi linalowakilishwa katika hifadhi hii ni la jamii ya Waata. Waata ni kabila la kikushi linalopatikana bara la Africa. Wazungumzi wa lugha ya kiWaata wanapatika nchini Kenya, Uhabeshi (Ethiopia) na Tanzania. Waata wa Kenya wamekuwa wawindaji na wakusanyaji hadi miaka ya 1940 ambapo uwindaji haramu ulipigwa marufuku nchini Kenya. Katika hali ya kiuchumi, walikuwa wakibadilishana asali na nyama za mwituni kwa majirani wao ambao ni wakulima. Unakili wa lugha ya kiWaata utafanyika eneo la Gede, katika vijiji vya mijomboni, ambavyo vinapatikana takribani kilomita nane kutoka barabara kuu ya kutoka Mombasa hadi Malindi. Shukrani nyingi zimwendee Mzee Mashauri Guyo kwa kukubali kutoa boma lake kwa shughuli za warsha na shughuli nyingine zinazohitaji mazingira kama haya.

 

Language information

English: Waata people also referred to as “Walangulo”, “aryangulo”, “Wasanye” and their language “Kilangulo”, “Kiryangulo”, “Kisanye” . The eestimated number of the Waata speakets is around 20,100 speakers. These speakers are spread in Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia. The Waata found in Kenya are estimated to be 13000 speakers (2009 census). Currently, the Waatha of the Kenya Coast live around Gede, Mijomboni, Tezo, Marafa, Shimba Hills and some parts of Tana River and Lamu. This documentation project is taking place in Gede region, Mijomboni village located in Kilifi County.

Swahili: Jamii ya Waata pia wanaitwa “Walangulo”, “Aryangulo”, “Wasanye” na lugha yao inaitwa Kilangulo”, “Kiryangulo”, “Kisanye”. Idadi ya wazungumzi wa lugha ya kiWaata inakadiriwa kuwa 20,100. Wazungumzi hawa wanapatikana nchini Kenya, Uhabeshi (Ethiopia) na Tanzania. Waata wanaopatikana nchini Kenya wanakadiriwa kuwa 13,000 (sensa 2009). Hivi sasa Waata wanaoishi nchini Kenya wanapatikana maeneo ya Gede, (maeneo ya mijomboni na Dabaso), tezo, Marafa, Milima ya Shimba, maeneo ya mto Tana na Lamu. Mchakato wa kuweka hifadhi ya lugha ya kiWaata katika mradi huu utafanyika eneo la Gede, katika vijiji vya mijomboni katika kaunti ya Kilifi.

 

Special characteristics

English: This documentation will be a collaborative effort of Nancy Ngowa and her research team from Pwani University and the native speakers of the Waata community, led by Mzee Mashauri Guyo.
The unique features of this collection will include a dictionary of medicinal plants found in the Waata region. Circumcision and wedding ceremonies will be recorded in their naturalistic occurrence in this community.

Swahili: Unakili na uhifadhi wa nyaraka wa lugha ya kiWaata utatokana na ushirikiano wa mwanaisimu Nancy Ngowa na timu yake ya watafiti kutoka Chuo kikuu cha Pwani na jamii ya wazungumzi asilia wa lugha ya kiWaata wa kutoka vijiji vya Mijomboni wakiongozwa na Mzee Mashauri Guyo.
Vipengele vya kipee kuhusu unakili na uhifadhi huu ni kwamba kunatajiwa kupatikana kamusi ya mimea ya dawa za kiasili zinazotibu magonjwa mbalimbali. Pia sherehe za kutahiri na ndoa zitanaswa katika hali zao za kiasili zinapofanyika ili kuhifadhiwa.

 

Acknowledgement and citation

To refer to any data from the collection, please cite as follows:

Ngowa, Nancy Jumwa & Micheal Otieno Maua. 2023. Waata Language Documentation. Endangered Languages Archive. Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/2196/74ace34b-d97d-4eb2-ace0-632b51227917. Accessed on [insert date here].