Swahili
/swɑːˈhiːli/noun
A Bantu language widely used as a lingua franca in East Africa, and the people and culture associated with it.
Did you know?Swahili comes from Arabic sāḥilī, meaning “of the coast,” showing how a place-name can harden into the name of an entire language and people.
Etymological Timeline
Arabic (medieval)
Arabic
sāḥil
“coast, shore”
Arabic (medieval)
Arabic
sāḥilī
“of the coast; coastal person”
Late 17th–18th Century
Portuguese/English
suaíli / Swahili
“name applied to the coastal peoples and their language on the East African coast”
19th Century
English
Swahili
“the East African Bantu language and the people associated with it”
Modern English
English
Swahili
“a major lingua franca and language of East Africa”