Where does “sa” come from?

sa (Lingala) comes from Swahili saa, from Arabic سَاعَة, from Aramaic שָׁעְתָא.

sa (Lingala): watch (timepiece)

Definitions

  1. watch (timepiece)

Ancestry of “sa”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swahilisaahour; clock; o'clock
2Arabicسَاعَةhour, clock
3Aramaicשָׁעְתָא—
Every word from Aramaic שָׁעְתָא →Every word from Arabic سَاعَة →Every word from Swahili saa →