mzungu

English

Alternative forms

• muzungu
• umuzungu

Etymology

Borrowed from Swahili mzungu.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /(ə)mˈzʊnɡuː/

Noun

mzungu (plural mzungus or wazungu)

1. (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

Derived terms

• mzungu time

Translations

mzungu

• Amharic: ፈረንጅ (färänǧ)
• Chichewa: mzungu
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 鬼佬 (yue) (gwai² lou²)

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

Chichewa

Etymology

An early borrowing from another African language, ultimately from Common Bantu *mʊ̀díʊ́ngʊ̀.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mˈzu.ᵑɡu/

Noun

mzungu class 1 (plural azungu class 2)

1. white person

Swahili

Etymology

From Common Bantu *mʊ̀díʊ́ngʊ̀.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mˈzu.ᵑɡu/

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Noun

mzungu class I (plural wazungu class II)

1. European, white person

   Synonym: mweupe

2. (sometimes derogatory) rich person (who is not white)