Swahili
[swah-hee-lee]
- a member of a Bantu people of Zanzibar and the neighboring coast of Africa.
- Also Kiswahili, ki-Swahili. the Bantu language of the Swahili people, used also as a lingua franca in Tanzania, Kenya, and parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for swahili
Contemporary Examples
The Telegraph reports that he is fluent in Swahili and a keen zoologist.
How A British Aristocrat Used Big Game Hunter’s Sperm To Get Pregnant Without His PermissionTom Sykes
December 2, 2014
Neither Arabic or Swahili writings make note of Gedi, despite it being located 65 miles from the port city of Mombasa.
Campi ya Kanzi means “Camp of the Hidden Treasure” in Swahili.
Interestingly, as Azad means “freedom” in Arabic, Urdu, Farsi, Turkish, and other languages, "Uhuru" means "freedom" in Swahili.
The Swahili language has been another powerful force in uniting Tanzanians.
Historical Examples
The request was repeated outside in Swahili, and turned into a strange tongue.
The Leopard WomanStewart Edward White
"You have asked a true question," Kingozi shifted to Swahili.
The Leopard WomanStewart Edward White
Those who understood Swahili murmured eagerly to those who did not.
The Leopard WomanStewart Edward White
"You have done well, very well," Kingozi shifted to Swahili.
The Leopard WomanStewart Edward White
He cursed in Swahili and Portuguese, and his language was forcible and impolite.
The Keepers of the King's PeaceEdgar Wallace
Swahili
- Also called: Kiswahili a language of E Africa that is an official language of Kenya and Tanzania and is widely used as a lingua franca throughout E and central Africa. It is a member of the Bantu group of the Niger-Congo family, originally spoken in Zanzibar, and has a large number of loan words taken from Arabic and other languages
- Also called: Mswahili, Waswahili plural -lis or -li a member of a people speaking this language, living chiefly in Zanzibar
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- of or relating to the Swahilis or their language
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Word Origin
C19: from Arabic sawāhil coasts
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for swahili
Swahili
name of a Bantu people inhabiting the coast of South Africa, 1814, from Arabic sawahil, plural of sahil "coast" + gentilic suffix -i.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper