Ilmorog
A fictional, rural outpost in Kenya that appears in several works of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
Gĩcaandĩ
A traditional African verbal art form that involves the recitation of poetry and riddles
Matatũ
Privately owned minibuses common in Kenya as private taxis
Haraambe
Also "Harambee"; the concept of pulling together or cooperating in social service. The word was used by Jomo Kenyatta as a signature feature of Kenyan national politics, but the word later became synonymous with neocolonialism and corruption
Pitman's Certificates
Certificates awarded to students who have passed exams provided by the UK-based educational company Pitman
Calabash
A large bottle-shaped gourd or the tree on which the gourd grows
Sugar Girl
A girl who agrees to be in either a sexual or platonic relationship with someone in exchange for money
Matchet
An alternate spelling of "machete"; a large knife used either as a weapon or as a instrument for cutting down vegetation
Kitenge
Colorful pieces of fabric worn in East, Central, and Wets Africa either on the body or around the head
Mau Mau
An uprising in Kenya (1952–1960) during which native Kenyans—primarily the Kikuyu, Meru, and Embu people—rose up violently against British Imperial authorities in the name of freedom. Ultimately, marred by internal division, the movement dissipated and caused wide divisions among the Kenyan people
Vagrancy
The state of wandering around without a home or regular employment
Gĩkũyũ
Also "Kikuyu"; a language, culture, and people occupying a large part of the Kenyan state. Additionally, Gĩkũyũ is the name of the first man in Gĩkũyũ folklore
Talent
In the context of the parable in the novel (which comes from the Gospels), a talent is a significant amount of money
Forfeit
"Kĩgacawa" in Gĩkũyũ; an imaginary piece of property relinquished by someone who has failed to solve a riddle to the one who posed the riddle
Wandĩndĩ
A single-stringed instrument used in traditional Kenyan music
Ululating
Howling or wailing with a trilling of the tongue
Ujamaa
Literally "extended family" or "brotherhood" in Swahili; used as a word indicating socialism in East Africa, especially in Tanzania
Mũcũng'wa
A style of traditional Kenyan dance for boys and girls, in which the boys wear leg rattles
Guerillas
A member of a small, often insurgent or impromptu, group engaged in informal fighting against larger forces
Uhuru
A socialist and pan-African movement of the early 1970s
Shilling
The currency of Kenya
