Mombasa
/mɒmˈbɑːsə/noun
A major port city on the coast of Kenya.
Did you know?Mombasa’s name is usually traced to a local Swahili form recorded by Arab and Portuguese visitors, but its deeper origin is uncertain—one of those coastal names that carries the memory of centuries of trade, faith, and conquest.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient/Precolonial
Swahili
Mvita / Mombasa
“A coastal settlement and island center on the East African trade network”
Medieval period
Arabic
منبسة / Mambasa (transliterated forms)
“The place-name as heard and written by Arab traders and geographers”
16th Century
Portuguese
Mombaça
“Portuguese spelling of the East African port city”
Modern English
English
Mombasa
“The standard English name for the Kenyan port city”