Before you this humourous piece, I distance myself from 'misquotations'. People never used to have names. Do you need to name your child unless the Government required so? You would only nick name and with time, other personality attributes may arise to give one a 'name'. The history of language development has Verbs as roots of a language. Nouns are secondary.
In circles that others oppose, clans are a result of a woman married by a man. A son would be known by the mother because a woman had few children compared to a man! But the boys, grown to men, could develop their own identities.
Importantly, I have the reservation that many clans had no 'one ancestor' but descendants of 'friends', people who had a similar attribute or nature. It was just a social grouping in a growing society too unconscious to be thought a 'clan'.
There is a clan whose ancestor(s) used to use 'guga' frequently in greetings. The way some say 'mwami, ovendi?' The clan is VAGUGA.
Nganga man had no truth in his talk. People who were considered so became vanganga. They formed VANGANGA clan.
Muyonga is two in one. Double dealer. Yarizaa kaviri. Descendants of this attribute became VAYONGA.
Kufunama is to be secretive in your ways and works. People who were with this characteristic became VAFUNAMI.
Kusanga is to share, to be part of, to be selfless. A man who behaves so is musanga. The clan thereafter was VASANGA.
Mutembe is a special tree in Maragoli customs edified to 'the great judge'. You would deny accusations on you by throwing a spear dart to it on instructions of an elder under extreme criminal proceedings. If you were defyingly guilty, you would not escape death. So some people would be quick to go mutembe way instead of chief's court. They are VAMUTEMBE clan.
Enondi is a superstitious belief that some creatures are associated with -turtles, frogs, snakes. These people were not afraid to live around them. And 'take care' of them too. They became VANONDI.
Rogovo is a ditch, a gulley. In one way or another people would hide in or use the places in a way. Thereafter a people were called VAROGOVO.
Kumiga is to tie tight, as a noose. To suffocate. Zingu is firewood, 'ngu' in short. There were women who used to tie their firewood so well never to be disturbed by their falling on the road. They became VAMIGANGU. Another version is that a leopard (engo) attacked a village. A warrior killed it. He became Mumigango - leopard killer. Descendants became VAMIGANGO.
Risero is a hide, skin of an animal. The leopard that was killed above was skinned and the one who took it bacame Mumasero (m'masero) -the one with skins. Or there were a people who did not quickly adopt clothes and preferred long time skins. They are VAMASERO people.
Kusingira is to stand, always refraining from sitting. During barazas, some men preffered standing all the way through. Offer them a sit at your home and they will say, 'No, I was only coming in shortly. On another thought, there was a woman who gave birth while standing. Woman power. Either way, descendants were VAMASINGIRA.
Kisinda or Kisinde is a cut piece of earth that has grass. It is used in 'transplanting' grass. Now there were a people who preferred that to tiresome thatching of houses. When it leaked, instead of bothering for green thatch, they lazilly cut visinde and filled up leakage. They are VAGISINDE now.
Kusagara is to scratch, turn over a place in search of something. Some wanted their farms to be free from weeds and really worked in the farms. Then people never worked so hard in farms. They wanted 'clean' farms. They are VASAGARA.
Imbirugiru is the star stick used for mixing porridge and other emulsions. It was the work wood men to make such among other wood utilities. These people formed VAVURUGI clan.
Kusuva is to get less than others or nothing at all. Once a person happened to have bad lucks and always in defence would say 'Inzi nu musuva'. There is VASUVA clan against a strong belief that they are descendants of Abasuba people.
Kugina is to speak that which is not true or rather spread falsehood knowingly or unknowingly. It is modern day propaganda, sister to gossiping. Such people became VIGINA. It could not be so were it not said that a bastard child was found abandoned on a stone (rigina). Long then children who were 'illegal' would be discarded that by luck a stranger may pick. On growing up, the child became strong. The descendants are VIGINA.
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Kusunda is to move, increase by size. Nothing was so badly received as illegal moving of a boundary. It was an invited curse. Kuganga murimi is worst than all. Chiefs received many of boundary cases and the accused would be MUGISUNDA. But another version of it is that they are immigrant people from Nyore.
Anything that is bushy is muritu, forest kinda. Long grass could be termed muritu the way long hair could be spoken of. So there lived a people who built huts in thickets, among trees and could not want grass on the paths to their homes beaten. They halter skeltered towards their huts that an enemy may not know. They are VAMURITU. Though others think they are a foreign people.
Didi is a nice name to call a person whom you love. Didi, ndakuyanza! They of graceful nature and demeanour. So there was a person who was lent a hen. The hen gave rise to a sheep and later a cow. The cow reproduced to many others in love for the farmer (Didi, loved by a cow). He became rich. There is a proverb 'Wayanzwa kuri eng'ombe yayanza Vadidi.' Now we got VADIDI people.
Koyera is to slow down, reduce like rain about to stop raining. It is said that there was a man who would be least angered even by the greatest of abuses. He was termed Mukayere. And it is believed the Great Chief Odanga was seen as the right choice by elders for having the very blood. The people are VAKAYERE.
Gihayo is that one child in a family/society who is deviant or behaves in a way that disturbs the parents. Most of us are blacksheeps to our families. Additionally, they are said to have reared Imburu, a certain earless mammal thought superstitious. We got VAGIHAYO descendants.
Mugoye is a rope. People who mastered the art and among other things did ropes were called VAMUGOYE.
Gusii is a language that is said 500+ years ago was one with Maragoli. People who came from gusii were Bagusuhi. Now we got VAGUSUHI clan.
Kikuzuzu is a small thing. Mukuzuzu is a short, small person. Either these were short people in stature or preferred owning less wealth. They may have also been sharing with others kikuzuzu they had. Now they are VAKAZUZU people.
Kogeza is to show off, be proud of, make others know or hear about something. Such people were anxious to let it be known, the world should know!
Kokoyana is to pull together, work in harmony. The coming together of people to achieve a thing, like an enterprise. They were called VAKOYANI.
Kwambaya is to move about, nomad life, search for better things like grazing field. That is what some people continuously did and brought about VAMBAYA clan.
Muturi is a blacksmith. His factory is Itumbi. He uses Muguva to blow air into fire to keep it hot and alive. Those who did such works were called AVATURI.
Kimuri is a blossomed flower, full of colour. There are a people descendants of VAMURI whose attributes need more asking as many other clans.
And of course Saniaga, that which I keep digging to find. Saniaga is not near any L'logori verb. The are many articles at the blog for that.
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