limanika wrote:From the language, i think the akirinyaga are product of intermarriage between gaki and aembu/ameru - these three peoples all lived along the edge of mt kenya and used to interact even before mzungu arrived to spoil the scene. methinks if mzungu hadnt come most of the gikuyu peoples would have by now disintegrated into several sub-tribes.
My take: Akirinyaga are a product of isolation from other Agikuyu. When one group becomes isolated, their language starts to evolve into a different language.
How similar two languages are depends on how long the two were isolated or split. From that perspective, AMeru people split from Agikuyu much longer ago than Embu people who in turn split from Agikuyu much longer ago than Akirinyaga.
It is true that had the British not come and if societies remained as they were in the 1800s then , most Kenyan ethnic groups would have splintered into much smaller groups. Some Maasais would have spread as far East as Voi and would now be a different ethnic group. Abaluhya would have split into 28 sub groups and Maragolis and Bukusu would no longer be considered Luhyas because their langaues would have evolved further apart. Some Luo groups would have migrated as far south as Mozambique or Lake Tanganyika and would now be speaking a different language with plenty of influence from Kisukuma. Mijikenda would be Miji kumi na Kenda. And Digo would no longer be part of them
Some of this is hyperbole. But its the general progression of languages. Historically, languages evolve constantly when isolated from the parent language.