mswahili
mswah-HEE-lee
How to say it
Swahilimswahilimswah-HEE-leesoon
EnglishSwahili person; native Swahili speakersoon
FrenchSwahili (personne)soon
Meaning
A person of the Swahili coast of East Africa, whose mother tongue is Kiswahili; loosely, anyone who speaks Kiswahili as their own language.
Good to know
M/wa class noun, plural Waswahili, often written with a capital. Waswahili walisema, the Swahili people said, introduces a proverb.
Examples
- Babu yangu ni Mswahili wa Lamu.My grandfather is a Swahili from Lamu.
- Waswahili wa zamani walisema haraka haina baraka.The Swahili of old said that haste has no blessing.
- Kila Mswahili anajua methali hii.Every Swahili speaker knows this proverb.
Not yet checked by a native speaker.