Population

1,305,000 (1994 I. Larsen BTL). Population includes 540,000 Meru, 26,400 Igoji (1980 Berne and Mölig).

Region

Meru District, Eastern Province , northeast of Mt. Kenya .

Alternate names  

Kimeru

Dialects

Meru, Igembe, Tigania, Imenti, Miutini, Igoji. Lexical similarity 85% between Imenti and Tigania. 67% similarity with Chuka, 63% with Embu and Gikuyu, 57% with Kamba.

Classification

Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, E, Kikuyu-Kamba (E.20), Meru

Language development

Literacy rate in first language: 5% to 10%. Literacy rate in second language: 25% to 50%. Bible: 1964.

Comments

'Mero' is not a correct spelling. Different from Meru of Tanzania . Traditional religion, Christian, Muslim.