Tswana

noun

Tswa·​na ˈ(t)swä-nə How to pronounce Tswana (audio)
plural Tswana or Tswanas
1
: a member of a Bantu-speaking people of Botswana and the Republic of South Africa
2
: the language of the Tswana people

Examples of Tswana in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Other depictions on the same rock facing near the dicynodont show Zulu and Tswana warriors together. Discover Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024 Such institutional details, which are at least as important as the political history of the Tswana people, go unmentioned in Why Nations Fail. Foreign Affairs, 16 Aug. 2012 The history of South Africa is complex, but to keep it very simple: The region was home to many African societies, including the Khoisan, Xhosa, Zulu, Tswana and Ndebele. Gillian Brockell, Washington Post, 5 May 2023 Some of the Dutch settlers, called Boers, moved farther inland, sparking gruesome conflicts with the Zulu, Tswana and Ndebele peoples, and declared themselves independent republics. Gillian Brockell, Washington Post, 5 May 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Tswana was in 1930

Dictionary Entries Near Tswana

Cite this Entry

“Tswana.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Tswana. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on Tswana

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!