Swahili

Swahili Translation, Resources, and Discussion

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English:Swahili:
Sabbath Jumamosi
sack gunia, mfuko
sad a huzuni
sadness huzuni
salary mshahara
salt chumvi
Sassenach Mwingereza
Satan Ibilisi
Saturday Jumamosi
say je
scheme shauri
school chuo, shule
scorpion nge
sea bahari
seaside pwani
second a pili
seed mbegu
self enyewe
September Septemba
serious kubwa
serpent nyoka
servant mtumishi
seven saba
seventeen kumi na saba
seventh a saba
seventy sabini
several times pengine
shack kibanda
share kipande, sehemu
sharp kali
sharpness ukali
sheep kondoo
sheet jani
shell ganda
shepherd mchungaji
shoe kiatu
shop duka
shopkeeper mwuza duka
shore pwani
short fupi
sick gonjwa
sightless person kipofu
silver fedha
since a, kwa sababu
sir bwana
sister dada
six sita
sixteen kumi na sita
sixth a sita
sixty sitini
size ukubwa
slave mtumwa
sleep usingizi
slender embamba
slim embamba
sly erevu
small dogo
smallpox ndui
smart erevu
smoke moshi
smooth laini
snake nyoka
soap sabuni
soft tamu, laini
soil udongo, kiwanja
soldier askari
something new habari
sometimes pengine
son mwana
song wimbo
sorcerer mchawi
sorcery uchawi
sore kidonda
sorrow huzuni
south kusini
speedy epesi
spider buibui
spoon mwiko, kijiko
square mahali
stake mti
stanchion mti
stomach tumbo
stone jiwe
store duka
strange a kigeni
stranger mgeni
stream kijito
string uzi
strong imara, enye nguvu
such a kama
such as kama
suddenly ghafula
suffice tosha
sufficient a kutosha
sugar sukari
sugar cane muwa
sun jua
Sunday Jumapili
sweet tamu
sweetness utamu
swift epesi
swine nguruwe
Syria Sham
Arab Influences
Arabic has played a significant role in both influencing Swahili as well as helping to develop it. Arabic’s role in the language goes back to the interactions and influence Arabic traders had with people who lived on the eastern coast of Africa. As a result, Swahili eventually became the language spoken in that part of Africa. In fact, it became the standard language for Bantu tribes who spoke many other languages starting in the 19th century.
Moving Inland
Also around the 19th century, Swahili started to move inland from the eastern coast of Africa because Arab ivory traders and slave traders used it as the primary mode of communication. They went all the way to the Congo and north to Uganda, which helped spread the language.
A Common Language
During the colonization of Africa, Europeans decided to adopt Swahili and not force people to learn their languages. This was both true of the British and the Germans who encouraged its use in schools, the military, and government.

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