Swahili

noun

Swa·​hi·​li swä-ˈhē-lē How to pronounce Swahili (audio)
plural Swahili or Swahilis
1
: a member of a Bantu-speaking people of Zanzibar and the adjacent coast
2
: a Bantu language that is a trade and governmental language over much of East Africa and in the Congo region

Examples of Swahili in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
His optimistic message, quoting Bruce Springsteen and tossing in some words in Swahili, had an immediate positive impact. Ed Garsten, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024 Each pair of shoes has a script with a Swahili proverb or saying. Erinne Magee, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Nov. 2024 Unlike other elder statesmen who spend their late careers managing their legacies, Carson apparently didn’t care much about the history books, preferring instead to sail his yacht and learn Swahili. Isaac Butler, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2024 Rowles Adams was one of the early hires at Swahili Village in D.C. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 16 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for Swahili 

Word History

Etymology

Arabic sawāḥil, plural of sāḥil coast

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Swahili was in 1814

Dictionary Entries Near Swahili

Cite this Entry

“Swahili.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Swahili. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

Swahili

noun
Swa·​hi·​li swä-ˈhē-lē How to pronounce Swahili (audio)
plural Swahili or Swahilis
1
: a member of a Bantu-speaking people of Zanzibar and the adjacent coast of Africa
2
: a Bantu language that is a trade and governmental language over much of East Africa and in the Congo region
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