Why did Kenya change its pronunciation from 'Keenyer' to 'Kenya'? Were we just asked to use the proper local pronunciation when it became independent or is it a more complicated reason?

zbeckabee

When I first lived in Kenya the first syllable had an ‘ee’ sound. But on Independence the pronunciation was changed, to fit the ‘eh’ sound in the name of its first president, Jomo Kenyatta. The assumption was made that the colonial British had pronounced the name wrongly. It was pointed that the name of the country had been derived from the first and third last syllables of the African name for the highest mountain in Kenya, Mount Kerinyaga, now also known as Mount Kenya, in which the first syllable is pronounced 'kee'. When Mwangi Kamau decided to change his name to an invented one that reflected his commitment to freeing his country, as he tells in his autobiography Facing Mount Kenya, he pronounced Kenyatta as kehnyatta. So he renamed himself after the country - then the country was renamed after him. http://www.caledonian.ac.uk/politicalsong/research/mcvicar.html Jul 16 06, 12:00 PM

satguru

I did wonder how he fitted in. So he managed to actually get everyone to pronounce it the wrong way to reflect his ego! Jul 16 06, 4:11 PM

peasypod

I remember having some fun with this one, once upon a time in #55344. I believe Baloo mumbled something about Guyana... Jul 16 06, 6:30 PM