WHY ARE WHITES ‘MZUNGU’ IN SWAHILI?

In East Africa, locals often refer to White visitors from Europe and the US as ‘mzungu’ - and it occasionally prompts concern among non-Swahili speakers that it could be derogatory.

But as our Ethiopian sister Weyni Tesfai here explains, the word is no slur. She says it originated in the 19th century, when European explorers landed on the continent. Among them was Scotsman David Livingstone, who was looking for the source of the river Nile. Locals on the island of Zanzibar wondered about this visitor, who seemed to be ‘spinning’ (Swahili ‘zunguka’), or wandering, around the area in search of something. Hence was formed ‘mzungu’ - meaning one who spins around or wanders. Since then, ‘mzungu’ has evolved to mean any White person.

Do you know any interesting African word etymologies? Please share in the comments.