Ubuntu
/uːˈbuːntuː/noun
A philosophy emphasizing shared humanity, compassion, mutual dependence, and community.
Did you know?The celebrated phrase “I am because we are” captures Ubuntu’s meaning, though it is an interpretive translation rather than a word-for-word rendering.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Bantu
Proto-Bantu
*-ntu
“Person or human being”
Proto-Bantu
Proto-Bantu
*bu-ntu
“Humanity, human nature, or the quality of being a person”
19th Century
Zulu/Xhosa
ubuntu
“Humaneness, humanity, or a person’s quality of being human”
19th–20th Century
Southern African English
Ubuntu
“A communal ethical principle centered on mutual care and shared personhood”
Late 20th Century
English
ubuntu
“A philosophy of interconnected humanity, increasingly discussed in political and religious contexts”
21st Century
Modern English
Ubuntu
“A widely used term for compassion, solidarity, and the belief that people become fully human through relationships”