mzee

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Swahili mzee.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /(ə)mˈzeɪ/

Noun

mzee (plural mzees or wazee)

1. (East Africa) An elder (old person).
   • 2003, Ward S Just, The American Ambassador:

     ...every President since Teddy Roosevelt saw Africa in the faces of her mzees, in their English suits or tribal robes...

   • 2005, Ernest Hemingway, Robert William Lewis, Under Kilimanjaro:

     It is difficult to be both and the older mzees resent the irregularity of the position.

   • 2006, Edward I Steinhart, Black poachers, white hunters: a social history of hunting in colonial Kenya:

     ...we arranged an impromptu interview with this reluctant and less than candid local mzee, who lived near the Tsavo boundary.

Synonyms

• senior, senior citizen; see also Thesaurus:old person

Anagrams

• meze

Swahili

Etymology

From -zee (“old”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mˈzɛː/

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Noun

mzee (m-wa class, plural wazee)

1. elder, respected old person
2. title of respect to anyone older than oneself, including parents

Descendants

• → English: mzee
• → Kikuyu: mũthee
• → Nubi: muzé
• → Subi: omuzehe

Adjective

mzee

1. M class inflected form of -zee.
2. U class inflected form of -zee.