mzungu

English

Alternative forms

• muzungu

Etymology

Swahili

Noun

mzungu (plural mzungus or wazungu)

1. (in some African countries) A white person.
   • 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

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Swahili

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA: /mzuŋɡu/

Noun

mzungu (m-wa class, plural wazungu)

1. "someone who roams around aimlessly", "aimless wanderer"
2. European, white person