a language of E Africa that is an official language of Kenya and Tanzania and is widely used as a lingua franca throughout E and central Africa. It is a member of the Bantu group of the Niger-Congo family, originally spoken in Zanzibar, and has a large number of loan words taken from Arabic and other languages
2. Also called: Mswahili, WaswahiliWord forms: plural-lis or -li
a member of a people speaking this language, living chiefly in Zanzibar
adjective
3.
of or relating to the Swahilis or their language
Derived forms
Swahilian (Swaˈhilian)
adjective
Word origin
C19: from Arabic sawāhil coasts
Swahili in American English
(swɑˈhili)
noun
1. Word forms: pluralSwaˈhilis or Swaˈhili
a member of a people living on Zanzibar and the nearby mainland
2.
the Northern Bantu language of this people, characterized by a vocabulary with many Arabic roots and used as a lingua franca in EC Africa and parts of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Word origin
< Ar sawāḥil, pl. of sāḥil, coast + -i, belonging to
Examples of 'Swahili' in a sentence
Swahili
I said I didn't know but could he please check the slugs for Tanzania radio, Swahili news bulletin, Saturday morning about nine.
Dexter Petley WHITE LIES (2003)
Meredith used the early-morning hours to write up her counselling case studies and practise her Swahili.
Salley Vickers MR GOLIGHTLY'S HOLIDAY (2003)
A bookcase in the living room was tightly packed with thirty leather-bound Bibles that had been translated into Swahili.
John Murray A FEW SHORT NOTES ON TROPICAL BUTTERFLIES (2003)