Bantu
noun
Ban·tu
ˈban-(ˌ)tü 
ˈbän-
ˈbän-
plural Bantu or Bantus
1
: a family of Niger-Congo languages spoken in central and southern Africa
2
: a member of any of a group of African peoples who speak Bantu languages
Examples of Bantu in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The New York Times reported that the thief wrote their message in Luganda, a Bantu language of Uganda.
—
Angie Orellana Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2024
How Hunter-Gatherers Learned Language For instance, scientists suspect that hunter-gathers in the Congo Basin absorbed languages from their farming neighbors, the Bantu.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 29 May 2024
The Bantu language used in the two emails to The Times is clunky in spots, according to a translator who reviewed the emails, while the English of the court documents the company has filed has been fluent.
—Matt Stevens, New York Times, 28 May 2024
His career began with freelancing for South African publications like Drum and Bantu World.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for Bantu 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Angie Orellana Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2024
How Hunter-Gatherers Learned Language For instance, scientists suspect that hunter-gathers in the Congo Basin absorbed languages from their farming neighbors, the Bantu.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 29 May 2024
The Bantu language used in the two emails to The Times is clunky in spots, according to a translator who reviewed the emails, while the English of the court documents the company has filed has been fluent.
—Matt Stevens, New York Times, 28 May 2024
His career began with freelancing for South African publications like Drum and Bantu World.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for Bantu
Dictionary Entries Near Bantu
Cite this Entry
“Bantu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Bantu. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Bantu
noun
Ban·tu
ˈban-(ˌ)tü
ˈbän-
ˈbän-
plural Bantu or Bantus
1
: a group of African languages spoken in central and southern Africa
2
: a member of any of a group of African peoples who speak Bantu languages
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share