Swati
/ˈswɑː.ti/noun
Swati is the Bantu language of Eswatini and parts of South Africa, or a person or adjective associated with Eswatini.
Did you know?The language’s native name, siSwati, uses the Bantu prefix si-, meaning a language or linguistic system; Swati is also the name of a Sanskrit lunar mansion associated with the star Arcturus, though the two names are unrelated.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Bantu
Proto-Bantu
*ba-ntu
“People; the reconstructed root behind the wider Bantu language family to which Swati belongs.”
Early Modern Era
Nguni
Swati
“The ethnonym associated with the Swati-speaking people of southeastern Africa.”
19th Century
siSwati
siSwati
“The Swati language; si- is a Bantu noun-class prefix used in language names.”
19th Century
English
Swazi
“The English ethnonym and adjective for the people and kingdom later known as Eswatini.”
20th Century
English
Swati
“An English form referring to the Swati language, people, or cultural identity.”
Modern English
English
Swati
“The standard English name for the language and for things relating to Eswatini and its people.”