Purging Kiswahili of foreign influences

[Simba Nerevu]

Hamjambo? I would like for us to begin to examine the many Eurasian terms that are imbedded in Kiswahili. We can list the Eurasian term, its origin, followed by its meaning. Then we should offer an alternative to its usage.

I'll begin.

Mwalimu (arabic)-teacher
Alternative: mkufunzi or mkalimu

Shule (german)-school
Alternative: chuo

[Simba Nerevu]

Fedha (arabic)-money
Hela (german)-money
Pesa (Portuguese)-money
Alternative: donge, fulusi, jeki, and more.

[Simba Nerevu]

Binaadamu (arabic)-human being
mwanadamu (arabic and english)-human being
Both of these terms draw from the christian myth of adam as a progenitor of humanity.
Alternative: mtu/watu

[Simba Nerevu]

Adui/madui (arabic)-enemy/enemies
Alternative: hasidi/mahasidi

[Simba Nerevu]

Salamu/salaam/salama (arabic)-peace
amani (arabic)-peace

alternative: isilahi (pronounced ee-see-lah-hee)

[Simba Nerevu]

Chapa (hindi)-hit
Alternative: Piga

[Olùkọ́ Ọbádélé]

BlackNificent Contribution Egbon Ifajakuta Yao Densuvi!

I look forward to your further contributions here at AKALI!

Kwame

[eugeNia]

Ndugu Sakima,
Napenda sana kusoma kumusi yako
Je, ninaweza kuinunulia wapi?
Asante
Nia

[alvasakima]

The dictionary project is still in progress. I can email you a copy if you like since I can't seem to get the attachment function to work today (alvasakima@yahoo.com). Feel free to contribute if you like, I welcome the assistance. POA is to put it up on my site in searchable DB form but there's really no point at this stage since there are better options out there (for now).

As for the purge effort, I agree this is a worthwhile and even necessary endeavor at some future date but perhaps not at this stage. Anything done at this point would be unofficial with no possibility of enforcement. After all almost half of the adjectives (the invariable adjective) in Kiswahili have Arabic origins. I don't know about ya'll but I use words like sawa, manjano, kweli etc. All the time Arabic or not. I think the most important thing is for Afrikans in America to start using a modern, functional, native'ish language as quickly as possible and in as large numbers as possible.

I'm working on this. Feel free to email me for a link to some test pages I have up.



Kituo,

Alva Sakima

[AsafoKwame]

This is a great topic. I notice, however, that you have included saalam as being arabic. And a few weeks ago I spoke to a woman from Eritrea and she told me that saalam/shalom originated from the Ge'ez language and thus it should be old enough to not be considered as arabic. Can you please comment on this?

Asante sana,

Kwame