Where does “jambo” come from?
jambo (Swahili) comes from Swahili amba, from Proto-Bantu -gàmba — to speak, to answer.
jambo (Swahili): thing, affair, issue, matter; Hello!
Definitions
- thing, affair, issue, matter; Hello!
Ancestry of “jambo”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Swahili | amba | which; who; to say, to explain |
| 2 | Proto-Bantu | -gàmba | to speak, to answer |