Where does “bwana” come from?
bwana (Chichewa) comes from Swahili bwana, from Arabic أب, from Proto-Semitic ʔabw-, from Proto-Afroasiatic ʔab-.
bwana (Chichewa): boss, master
Ancestry of “bwana”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Swahili | bwana | master, lord; mister, Mr; boss |
| 2 | Arabic | أب | father; ancestor, forefather; second-person... |
| 3 | Proto-Semitic | ʔabw- | father |
| 4 | Proto-Afroasiatic | ʔab- | — |