Swahili

[ swah-hee-lee ]

/ swɑˈhi li /

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noun, plural Swa·hi·lis, (especially collectively) Swa·hi·li for 1.

a member of a Bantu people of Zanzibar and the neighboring coast of Africa.

Also Ki·swa·hi·li or ki-Swa·hi·li

[kee-swah-hee-lee] /ˌki swɑˈhi li/ . 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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Origin of Swahili

First recorded in 1810–15; from Swahili, from Arabic sawāḥiliy “of or pertaining to the coast,” equivalent to sawāḥil, plural of sāḥil “coast” + -iy adjective and noun suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM Swahili

Swa·hi·li·an, adjective

Words nearby Swahili

swagger coat, swaggering, swagger stick, swaggie, swagman, Swahili, swain, Swainson's hawk, Swainson's thrush, S.W.A.K., swakara

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Swahili in a sentence

His first language is Swahili, but English became his literary language.
Nobel Prize in literature awarded to Abdulrazak Gurnah|Ron Charles|October 7, 2021|Washington Post
When Agatha Lenjou was planning on starting her business of selling Swahili sweets last year, she knew that she wanted to run it on social commerce platforms.
Social commerce is becoming an important business model in Africa|Carlos Mureithi|October 7, 2021|Quartz
Mama Kubwa is Swahili for “big woman,” a name that translated wherever I hiked—from trails around my suburban New Jersey home to the treacherous wet-chain descent to Mooney Falls in Havasu Canyon.
How a Plus-Size Hiker Found Her Footing on the Trail|syadron|August 22, 2021|Outside Online
Our team later nicknamed this person “Mtoto,” meaning “child” in Kenya’s Swahili language.
A Cave Site in Kenya’s Forests Reveals the Oldest Human Burial in Africa|Alison Crowther|May 28, 2021|Singularity Hub

No sooner did he open Swahili Village in the basement space that previously housed Honeysuckle and Vidalia — March 15, 2020 — than Onyona was relegated to serving the food of his native Kenya as takeout.
Swahili Village brings a taste of African fine dining to D.C.|Tom Sietsema|April 2, 2021|Washington Post
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 Permission|Tom Sykes|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Neither Arabic or Swahili writings make note of Gedi, despite it being located 65 miles from the port city of Mombasa.
Kenya Has Its Own Machu Picchu—the Lost Town of Gedi|Nina Strochlic|September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If one dared to speak Swahili in his company, a swift reprimand would often be forthcoming.
The Tragic Life of Barack Obama’s Father|Sally H. Jacobs|July 10, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Campi ya Kanzi means “Camp of the Hidden Treasure” in Swahili.
Eco-Chic Safari|Sophie Menin|July 27, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Interestingly, as Azad means “freedom” in Arabic, Urdu, Farsi, Turkish, and other languages, "Uhuru" means "freedom" in Swahili.
What Hogwarts Can Teach Muslims|Asra Q. Nomani|July 4, 2010|DAILY BEAST
My gun-bearer (a Swahili) now began to show an anxiety to turn back.
Hunting in Many Lands|Various
The dismounted gun and the ammunition-boxes were on the heads of Swahili porters.
Cupid in Africa|P. C. Wren
Thus, though it is absent as a plural prefix for nouns in the Swahili of Zanzibar, it reappears in the concord.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 3|Various
"Safari" is itself a Swahili word of Arabic origin, meaning an expedition and all that pertains to it.
My African Journey|Winston Churchill
My Spanish is only a little bit better than my Swahili, so I missed what was going on, except for an occasional word.
The Day of the Boomer Dukes|Frederik Pohl

British Dictionary definitions for Swahili

Swahili

/ (swɑːˈhiːlɪ) /

noun

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

adjective

of or relating to the Swahilis or their language

Derived forms of Swahili

Swahilian, adjective

Word Origin for Swahili

C19: from Arabic sawāhil coasts

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012