Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Zulu” come from?

Zulu derives from Zulu umZulu, with the prefix Zulu umu- from Proto-Bantu jʊ̀-mʊ̀-, ultimately from Proto-Bantu ʊ́-.

Zulu (English): Pertaining to the Zulu people, culture, or...

Definitions

  1. Pertaining to the Zulu people, culture, or...

Ancestry of “Zulu”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1ZuluumZuluZulu person
2ZuluuZulua Zulu clan name or surname
3Zuluu-you, thou; second-person singular subject...
4Zuluulu-Archaic form of u-
5Proto-Bantudʊ́-dʊ̀-—

Words derived from “Zulu”

  • Zululand
  • Zululander
  • Soolooish
  • Sooloo
Every word from Proto-Bantu dʊ́-dʊ̀- →