mkeka

English

Etymology

From Swahili mkeka.

Noun

mkeka (plural mkekas)

1. The decorative mat on which ceremonial symbols are laid out during Kwanzaa celebrations.
   • 2005, Christine Webster, How to Draw Kwanzaa Symbols, page 6:

     Some African Americans use handmade, African mkekas. Some people weave their own mkekas at home. The mkeka is a very important symbol of Kwanzaa because all of the other holiday symbols rest upon it.

Swahili

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Noun

mkeka (m-mi class, plural mikeka)

1. plaited mat