Mũtahi
/ moo-TA-hee /
- Gender
- Boy
- Origin
- 🇰🇪 Kenya
- Religion
- Traditional
- First Seen
- —
- Trait
- Growth
Meaning & Etymology
one who adds to the family
one who adds to the family
Etymology
Derived from the Kikuyu root ku-tahia (to add).
Linguistic family: Niger-Congo > Atlantic-Congo > Volta-Congo > Benue-Congo > Bantoid > Southern > Narrow Bantu > Central > E > Kikuyu-Kamba
Cultural context
Commonly given to a child born after a period of infertility or loss.
Symbolism
Represents continuity and the hope for growth within the community.
Naming ceremony
During the Kikuyu mambura ya gũciarwo, elders bless the child and invoke ancestral spirits.