List of English words of Zulu origin explained

This is a list of words of Zulu origin attested in use by speakers of South African English.

abatagati: (from abathakathi, a word also used in Xhosa; cf. synonymous umtagati, a borrowing into South African English from other Nguni languages) witches, warlocks, or other practitioners of magic for evil purposes^[1]

aikona: (from hhayi khona "not here") no; certainly not; not at all

baba: (from baba "father," a respectful form of address toward an older man) sir, mister

Fanagalo: (from the phrase fana ga lo "like this") a Zulu-based pidgin spoken primarily by South African miners

madumbi: (from amadumbe "taro tubers") taro tuber

umfundisi: a teacher, priest, or missionary^[2]

See also

• South African English
• List of South African slang words

Notes and References

1. Book: Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2010. Oxford.
2. Web site: umfundisi . Oxford living dictionaries . https://web.archive.org/web/20180613014609/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/umfundisi. dead. 13 June 2018.