See bwana in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"etymology_links": [
[
"*ʔab-",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Afroasiatic/ʔab-"
],
[
"*ʔabw-",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔabw-#Proto-Semitic:_father"
],
[
"أَبُونَا",
"أب#Arabic:_father"
],
[
"bwana",
"bwana#Swahili"
],
[
"bwana",
"bwana#Swahili"
],
[
"أَبُونَا",
"أب#Arabic"
],
[
"abbot",
"abbot#English"
]
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": ":bor",
"3": "sw:bwana",
"tree": "1"
},
"expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Afroasiatic *ʔab-\nProto-Semitic *ʔabw-\nArabic أَبُونَا (ʔabūnā)bor.\nSwahili bwanabor.\nEnglish bwana\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"أَبُونَا\", \"id\" : \"father\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"father\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Afroasiatic\", \"term\" : \"*ʔab-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"afa-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Semitic\", \"term\" : \"*ʔabw-\", \"lang\" : \"sem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" }, { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"root\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"redlink\", \"lang_name\" : \"Arabic\", \"term\" : \"ء ب و\", \"lang\" : \"ar\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"root\", \"is_invisible\" : \"all\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Arabic\", \"term\" : \"أب\", \"gloss\" : \"our father\", \"lang\" : \"ar\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Swahili\", \"term\" : \"bwana\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"sw\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"bwana\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"bwana\">",
"name": "etymon"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "sw",
"3": "bwana",
"4": "",
"5": "master"
},
"expansion": "Swahili bwana (“master”)",
"name": "bor"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ar",
"3": "أب",
"4": "أَبُونَا",
"5": "our father"
},
"expansion": "Arabic أَبُونَا (ʔabūnā, “our father”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "abbot"
},
"expansion": "Doublet of abbot",
"name": "doublet"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ar",
"3": "ء ب و"
},
"expansion": "",
"name": "root"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Afroasiatic *ʔab-\nProto-Semitic *ʔabw-\nArabic أَبُونَا (ʔabūnā)bor.\nSwahili bwanabor.\nEnglish bwana\nBorrowed from Swahili bwana (“master”), from Arabic أَبُونَا (ʔabūnā, “our father”). Doublet of abbot.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "bwanas",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "bwana (plural bwanas)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with etymology trees",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with etymon",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages using etymon with no ID",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 6 entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with etymology trees",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with etymon",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "20 16 26 19 16 0 2 0 0",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 6 entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "20 16 25 19 16 0 2 0 0",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "10 5 64 6 5 1 6 1 1",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with etymology trees",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "6 32 50 4 3 0 3 0 0",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with etymon",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
62,
67
]
],
"ref": "2005, David Foster Wallace, Consider the Lobster and Other Essays, New York: Little, Brown and Company, →ISBN, page 208:",
"text": "It is Jim C.’s custom always to say “Up Simba” in a fake-deep bwana voice as he hefts the camera to his right shoulder […]",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Big boss, important person."
],
"id": "en-bwana-en-noun-swKo27ih",
"links": [
[
"boss",
"boss"
],
[
"important",
"important"
],
[
"person",
"person"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(slang) Big boss, important person."
],
"tags": [
"slang"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈbwɑːnə/"
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-bwana.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/54/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bwana.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bwana.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/54/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bwana.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bwana.wav.ogg",
"tags": [
"Southern-England"
]
},
{
"rhymes": "-ɑːnə"
}
],
"word": "bwana"
}
{
"categories": [
"Pages with 6 entries",
"Pages with entries",
"Pages with etymology trees",
"Pages with etymon"
],
"etymology_links": [
[
"*ʔab-",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Afroasiatic/ʔab-"
],
[
"*ʔabw-",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/ʔabw-#Proto-Semitic:_father"
],
[
"أَبُونَا",
"أب#Arabic:_father"
],
[
"bwana",
"bwana#Swahili"
],
[
"bwana",
"bwana#Swahili"
],
[
"أَبُونَا",
"أب#Arabic"
],
[
"abbot",
"abbot#English"
]
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": ":bor",
"3": "sw:bwana",
"tree": "1"
},
"expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Afroasiatic *ʔab-\nProto-Semitic *ʔabw-\nArabic أَبُونَا (ʔabūnā)bor.\nSwahili bwanabor.\nEnglish bwana\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"أَبُونَا\", \"id\" : \"father\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"father\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Afroasiatic\", \"term\" : \"*ʔab-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"afa-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Semitic\", \"term\" : \"*ʔabw-\", \"lang\" : \"sem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" }, { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"root\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"redlink\", \"lang_name\" : \"Arabic\", \"term\" : \"ء ب و\", \"lang\" : \"ar\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"root\", \"is_invisible\" : \"all\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Arabic\", \"term\" : \"أب\", \"gloss\" : \"our father\", \"lang\" : \"ar\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Swahili\", \"term\" : \"bwana\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"sw\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"bwana\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"bwana\">",
"name": "etymon"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "sw",
"3": "bwana",
"4": "",
"5": "master"
},
"expansion": "Swahili bwana (“master”)",
"name": "bor"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ar",
"3": "أب",
"4": "أَبُونَا",
"5": "our father"
},
"expansion": "Arabic أَبُونَا (ʔabūnā, “our father”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "abbot"
},
"expansion": "Doublet of abbot",
"name": "doublet"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ar",
"3": "ء ب و"
},
"expansion": "",
"name": "root"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Afroasiatic *ʔab-\nProto-Semitic *ʔabw-\nArabic أَبُونَا (ʔabūnā)bor.\nSwahili bwanabor.\nEnglish bwana\nBorrowed from Swahili bwana (“master”), from Arabic أَبُونَا (ʔabūnā, “our father”). Doublet of abbot.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "bwanas",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "bwana (plural bwanas)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English countable nouns",
"English doublets",
"English entries with etymology trees",
"English entries with etymon",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English slang",
"English terms borrowed from Swahili",
"English terms derived from Arabic",
"English terms derived from Proto-Afroasiatic",
"English terms derived from Proto-Semitic",
"English terms derived from Swahili",
"English terms derived from the Arabic root ء ب و",
"English terms with quotations",
"Pages using etymon with no ID",
"Pages with 6 entries",
"Pages with entries",
"Pages with etymology trees",
"Pages with etymon",
"Rhymes:English/ɑːnə",
"Rhymes:English/ɑːnə/2 syllables"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
62,
67
]
],
"ref": "2005, David Foster Wallace, Consider the Lobster and Other Essays, New York: Little, Brown and Company, →ISBN, page 208:",
"text": "It is Jim C.’s custom always to say “Up Simba” in a fake-deep bwana voice as he hefts the camera to his right shoulder […]",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Big boss, important person."
],
"links": [
[
"boss",
"boss"
],
[
"important",
"important"
],
[
"person",
"person"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(slang) Big boss, important person."
],
"tags": [
"slang"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈbwɑːnə/"
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-bwana.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/54/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bwana.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bwana.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/54/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bwana.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-bwana.wav.ogg",
"tags": [
"Southern-England"
]
},
{
"rhymes": "-ɑːnə"
}
],
"word": "bwana"
}
Download raw JSONL data for bwana meaning in English (4.6kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-10-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (1a05e46 and e3d6d4e). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.