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.
Speaking in French, Swahili and Kinyarwanda — the language of Rwanda and of many Congolese Hutu and Tutsi — the leaders vowed to march on Kinshasa. Emmet Livingstone, The Dial, 20 Mar. 2025 These bungalows offer guests the chance to experience one of the last untouched land and sea sanctuaries on the Swahili Coast. Andi Cross, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 Spanish To Swedish, Serbian To Swahili Developers can use natural language in a variety of languages (yes, don’t panic, Lithuanian, Swahili and more are supported) in Gemini Code Assist to generate, explain and improve code. Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025 Stepping into it tells the story of centuries of trade, conquest, and resilience on the Swahili Coast. Emese MacZko, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Swahili.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Swahili. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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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