Swahili
maleleji
mah-leh-LEH-jee
How to say it
Swahilimalelejimah-leh-LEH-jeesoon
Englishlitmus dyessoon
Frenchteintures d'orseillesoon
Meaning
Dyes obtained from orchilla (litmus) lichen, used traditionally to color cloth and other materials.
Good to know
plural of malele (ji-/ma- class), variant plural alongside malelezi; non-human noun, ma-/ya- agreement; rare, technical term.
Examples
- Wafanyabiashara walisafirisha maleleji kutoka pwani.Traders shipped the litmus dyes from the coast.
- Je, maleleji hayo yalitumika kutia rangi nguo?Were those litmus dyes used to dye cloth?
- Maleleji hayapatikani kwa urahisi siku hizi.Litmus dyes are not easily found these days.
Not yet checked by a native speaker.