Markwet (Markweeta) is a Kalenjin language of Kenya. The regional terms Endo and Sambirir (or the clan name Talai) have been used for northern and southern Markweta, but they are not distinct dialects. The unmarked word order is Verb–subject–object.
Phonology
Vowels Markweta has five basic vowels: . All vowels have variants based on tongue root position and length, for a total of 20 distinct vowel phonemes.
The vowels and are both pronounced like , and can only be distinguished by looking at affixes.
Consonants Markweta has 13 consonants: +BilabialAlveolarPalatalVelarNasalPlosiveFricativeApproximantTrill
Morphology Markweta has gender. Gender is realized as a prefix added primarily for person nouns and animal names, but sometimes inanimate objects.
The prefixes and are used to indicate nominalization.
Bible On 1 August 2026, at the Tot Primary School in Elgeyo Marakwet County, the complete Bible in the Markweta language is due to be released. The New Testament was released in February 2009, and the Jesus Film in 2012.
References