barabara

Japanese

Romanization

barabara

1. Rōmaji transcription of ばらばら

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Kikuyu

Etymology

Borrowed from Swahili barabara.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /βàɾàβàɾà(ꜜ)/

As for Tonal Class, Benson (1964) classifies this term into Class 1 with a tetrasyllabic stem.

• (Kiambu)

• (Limuru) As for Tonal Class, Yukawa (1981) classifies this term into a group including cindano, huko, iburi, igego, igoti, ini (pl. mani), inooro, irigũ, irũa, iturubarĩ (pl. maturubarĩ), kĩbaata, kĩmũrĩ, kũgũrũ, mũciĩ, mũgeni, mũgũrũki, mũmbirarũ, mũndũ, mũri, mũthuuri, mwaki (“fire”), mwario (“way of speaking”), mbogoro, nda, ndaka, ndigiri, ngo, njagathi, njogu, nyondo (“breast(s)”), and so on.

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

barabara class 9/10 (plural barabara)

1. road

   barabara ĩno - this road

   barabara ici - these roads

   Synonyms: bara, njĩra

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Swahili

FWOTD – 10 January 2020

barabara

Etymology 1

Possibly from Arabic بَرّ (barr, “land, earth”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɓɑrɑˈɓɑrɑ/

Noun

barabara (n class, plural barabara)

1. road (strip of land made suitable for travel)
   • 2019 July 30, “Erick Kabendera: Polisi wa Tanzania wanasema walimkamata mwandishi huyo [Erick Kabendera: Police in Tanzania say they have arrested the reporter]”, in BBC Swahili:

     Baada ya siku tisa Mo kama anavyojulikana nchini humo, alitupwa nje ya uwanja wa Gymkana katika barabara ya Ocean Road eneo linalolindwa sana kwa kuwa barabara hiyo inelekea ikulu ya rais nchini Tanzania.

     After nine days Mo, as he [Mohammed Dewji] is known in the country, was thrown out of the Gymkana Stadium on the road Ocean Road in an area that is well protected, as the road leads to the presidential palace in Tanzania.

   maisha ni barabara ndefu

   life is a long road

   Synonym: njia

Descendants

• Kikuyu: barabara

Etymology 2

From Persian برابر (barābar).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɓɑˈrɑɓɑrɑ/

Adjective

barabara (invariable)

1. proper, correct, exactly right

Adverb

barabara

1. exactly, precisely
   • Kumbukumbu la Sheria 5:32, Biblia Habari Njema:

     Nyinyi muwe waangalifu mkafanye kama Mwenyezi-Mungu alivyowaamuru; tekelezeni kila kitu barabara.

     Be careful to do as the Lord has commanded; implement everything precisely.