mzungu

English

Alternative forms

muzungu
umuzungu

Etymology

Borrowed from Swahili mzungu.

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /(ə)mˈzʊnɡuː/

Noun

mzungu (plural mzungus or wazungu)

(East Africa) A white person. [from 19th c.]
- 1888, Joseph Thomson, E. Harris-Smith, Ulu: an African romance: Volume 1
  I have given my daughter to an mzungu, and he says he will make her like the wives of the white men.
- 2004, Dan McNickle, Teaching and Hunting in East Africa
  suspicion about an mzungu wanting a copy of the country's constitution

Synonyms

umlungu
See Thesaurus:white person

Translations

mzungu

Amharic: ፈረንጅ (färänǧ)
Chichewa: mzungu
Chinese:
Cantonese: 鬼佬
Dhuwal: balanda

French: mzoungou m
Mwani: nzungu
Swahili: mzungu (sw)
Zulu: umlungu

Chichewa

Etymology

An early borrowing from another African language, probably Swahili mzungu.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /mˈzu.ᵑɡu/

Noun

mzungu class 1 (plural azungu class 2)

white person

Swahili

Etymology

Proto-Bantu *jungu, *-dungu. Cognate with Bemba musungu, Kikuyu muthungu, Rwanda-Rundi umuzungu, Luganda Omuzungu, Shona murungu, Venda mulungu, Zulu lungu.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /mˈzu.ᵑɡu/

Noun

mzungu (m-wa class, plural wazungu)

European, white person
Synonym: mweupe
(sometimes derogatory) rich person (who is not white)