Mwana
/ˈmwɑːnə/noun
A child or young person, especially in East African usage.
Did you know?Mwana is widely used in Bantu languages, including Swahili, and appears in compounds describing family, youth, and social belonging.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Bantu
Proto-Bantu
*mwana
“Child or offspring”
Early Bantu languages
Bantu
mwana
“Child, young person, or descendant”
Medieval–Modern Period
Swahili
mwana
“Child or offspring”
19th Century
English
mwana
“A child, especially in East African contexts”
Modern English
English
mwana
“A child or young person”