Etymology Explorer › Swahili

Where does “mzungu” come from?

mzungu (Swahili) comes from Proto-Bantu mʊ̀jʊ́ngʊ̀ — white person.

mzungu (Swahili): European, white person; rich person

Definitions

  1. European, white person; rich person

Ancestry of “mzungu”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Bantumʊ̀jʊ́ngʊ̀white person

Words derived from “mzungu”

  • mzungu
Every word from Proto-Bantu mʊ̀jʊ́ngʊ̀ →