The reading of time in Kiswahili is different from the roman way that is used in English. In Kiswahili, we tell the time through the rising and setting of the sun. Kiswahili is mainly spoken in areas close to the equator which experience equal 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night all-year round.
The day begins at sunrise (saa kumi na mbili – 6.00 am) and ends at sunset (saa kumi na mbili – 6.00 pm). This implies that there are two divisions of what in english is referred to as “a day”. The first division is when the sun is over ground (12 hrs) and the second division is when the sun is underground (12 hrs).
Consequently, the starting time (12.00/0000hrs) is at 6.00 AM. This in Kiswahili is referred to as ‘Saa kumi na mbili’ which literally means 12 o’clock. 7.00 AM is one hour after the beginning hence ‘Saa moja’ which means one o’clock… and so forth.
Check out the image above to follow through the times.
Source: Author 2021
Comments
Post a Comment