mzungu

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Swahili mzungu.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /(ə)mˈzʊnɡuː/

Noun

mzungu (plural mzungus or wazungu)

  1. (East Africa) A white person. [from 19th c.]
    • 1888, Joseph Thomson, E. Harris-Smith, Ulu: an African romance: Volume 1:
      I have given my daughter to an mzungu, and he says he will make her like the wives of the white men.
    • 2004, Dan McNickle, Teaching and Hunting in East Africa:
      suspicion about an mzungu wanting a copy of the country's constitution

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Chichewa

Etymology

An early borrowing from another African language, ultimately from Common Bantu *mʊ̀jʊ́ngʊ̀.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /mˈzu.ᵑɡu/

Noun

mzungu class 1 (plural azungu class 2)

  1. white person

Swahili

Etymology

From Common Bantu *mʊ̀díʊ́ngʊ̀.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /mˈzu.ᵑɡu/
  • Audio (Kenya):(file)

Noun

mzungu class I (plural wazungu class II)

  1. European, white person
    Synonym: mweupe
  2. (sometimes derogatory) rich person (who is not white)