See matatu in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "sw",
"3": "matatu"
},
"expansion": "Swahili matatu",
"name": "bor"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "sw",
"2": "mapeni matatu",
"lit": "three ten-cent coins",
"nocap": "1",
"nocat": "1",
"t": "thirty cents"
},
"expansion": "clipping of mapeni matatu (“thirty cents”, literally “three ten-cent coins”)",
"name": "clipping"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "prefix"
},
"expansion": "prefix",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "plural"
},
"expansion": "plural",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "bnt-pro",
"3": "*-tátʊ̀",
"t": "three"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Bantu *-tátʊ̀ (“three”)",
"name": "der"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Swahili matatu, a clipping of mapeni matatu (“thirty cents”, literally “three ten-cent coins”), the flat fare paid for such transportation in the 1960s. The word matatu is from ma- (prefix forming plurals) + -tatu (“three”) (from Proto-Bantu *-tátʊ̀ (“three”)).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "matatus",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "matatu",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "+",
"2": "matatu"
},
"expansion": "matatu (plural matatus or matatu)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"ma‧ta‧tu"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Entries with translation boxes",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Kenyan English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 3 entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Swahili translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Ukrainian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Ugandan English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Road transport",
"orig": "en:Road transport",
"parents": [
"Transport",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Vehicles",
"orig": "en:Vehicles",
"parents": [
"Machines",
"Transport",
"Technology",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "34 42 2 22",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 3 entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "matatu culture"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1982, United Nations Centre for Human Settlements Habitat News:",
"text": "A matatu is also more profitable when driven by its owner than by an employed driver, or if the employee-driver pays in all the earnings and the owner meets the operating costs, rather than when the owner demands a fixed sum of money daily, with the operator keeping the surplus.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2010, Philo Ikonya, Leading the Night, page 102:",
"text": "For now, matatus made lanes along both sides of tarmac main roads and went over, around or through potholes depending on their speed.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2017, Kenda Mutongi, Matatu: A History of Popular Transportation in Nairobi, page 98:",
"text": "Memories of their sense of trepidation, or even the anger, aboard a matatu could still be visceral.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2024 January 13, David Pilling, “Revenge of the moderators”, in FT Weekend, Life & Arts, page 15:",
"text": "The roads were jammed with matatu minibuses sporting cartoonish liveries, and trucks billowing black smoke into the dazzling African light.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A minivan used as a shared taxi, especially one operating without a licence."
],
"hypernyms": [
{
"word": "shared taxi"
},
{
"word": "gypsy cab"
}
],
"id": "en-matatu-en-noun-Y9heD~7m",
"links": [
[
"minivan",
"minivan"
],
[
"used",
"use#Verb"
],
[
"shared taxi",
"shared taxi"
],
[
"operating",
"operate"
],
[
"licence",
"licence#Noun"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(Kenya, Uganda) A minivan used as a shared taxi, especially one operating without a licence."
],
"related": [
{
"word": "makanga"
},
{
"word": "manamba"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"english": "Tanzania",
"word": "daladala"
},
{
"tags": [
"Sheng",
"slang"
],
"word": "mathree"
}
],
"tags": [
"Kenya",
"Uganda"
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "minivan often used as a share taxi — see also minivan, shared taxi",
"word": "matatu"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "minivan often used as a share taxi — see also minivan, shared taxi",
"word": "reittitaksi"
},
{
"code": "sw",
"lang": "Swahili",
"sense": "minivan often used as a share taxi — see also minivan, shared taxi",
"tags": [
"Kenya"
],
"word": "matatu"
},
{
"code": "sw",
"lang": "Swahili",
"sense": "minivan often used as a share taxi — see also minivan, shared taxi",
"tags": [
"Sheng"
],
"word": "moshogi"
},
{
"code": "sw",
"lang": "Swahili",
"sense": "minivan often used as a share taxi — see also minivan, shared taxi",
"tags": [
"Sheng"
],
"word": "shedhi"
},
{
"code": "sw",
"english": "Tanzania",
"lang": "Swahili",
"sense": "minivan often used as a share taxi — see also minivan, shared taxi",
"word": "daladala"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "matatu",
"sense": "minivan often used as a share taxi — see also minivan, shared taxi",
"word": "матату"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "matrej",
"sense": "minivan often used as a share taxi — see also minivan, shared taxi",
"word": "матрей"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/məˈtætuː/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-matatu.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/38/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-matatu.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-matatu.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/38/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-matatu.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-matatu.wav.ogg"
},
{
"audio": "Sw-ke-matatu.flac",
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},
{
"ipa": "/məˈtɑˌtu/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
}
],
"word": "matatu"
}
{
"categories": [
"Pages with 3 entries",
"Pages with entries",
"sw:Road transport",
"sw:Vehicles"
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "matatu culture"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "sw",
"3": "matatu"
},
"expansion": "Swahili matatu",
"name": "bor"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "sw",
"2": "mapeni matatu",
"lit": "three ten-cent coins",
"nocap": "1",
"nocat": "1",
"t": "thirty cents"
},
"expansion": "clipping of mapeni matatu (“thirty cents”, literally “three ten-cent coins”)",
"name": "clipping"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "prefix"
},
"expansion": "prefix",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "plural"
},
"expansion": "plural",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "bnt-pro",
"3": "*-tátʊ̀",
"t": "three"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Bantu *-tátʊ̀ (“three”)",
"name": "der"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Swahili matatu, a clipping of mapeni matatu (“thirty cents”, literally “three ten-cent coins”), the flat fare paid for such transportation in the 1960s. The word matatu is from ma- (prefix forming plurals) + -tatu (“three”) (from Proto-Bantu *-tátʊ̀ (“three”)).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "matatus",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "matatu",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "+",
"2": "matatu"
},
"expansion": "matatu (plural matatus or matatu)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"hypernyms": [
{
"word": "shared taxi"
},
{
"word": "gypsy cab"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"ma‧ta‧tu"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"related": [
{
"word": "makanga"
},
{
"word": "manamba"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English indeclinable nouns",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English nouns with irregular plurals",
"English terms borrowed from Swahili",
"English terms derived from Proto-Bantu",
"English terms derived from Swahili",
"English terms with quotations",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Kenyan English",
"Pages with 3 entries",
"Pages with entries",
"Terms with Finnish translations",
"Terms with Swahili translations",
"Terms with Ukrainian translations",
"Ugandan English",
"en:Road transport",
"en:Vehicles"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1982, United Nations Centre for Human Settlements Habitat News:",
"text": "A matatu is also more profitable when driven by its owner than by an employed driver, or if the employee-driver pays in all the earnings and the owner meets the operating costs, rather than when the owner demands a fixed sum of money daily, with the operator keeping the surplus.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2010, Philo Ikonya, Leading the Night, page 102:",
"text": "For now, matatus made lanes along both sides of tarmac main roads and went over, around or through potholes depending on their speed.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2017, Kenda Mutongi, Matatu: A History of Popular Transportation in Nairobi, page 98:",
"text": "Memories of their sense of trepidation, or even the anger, aboard a matatu could still be visceral.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2024 January 13, David Pilling, “Revenge of the moderators”, in FT Weekend, Life & Arts, page 15:",
"text": "The roads were jammed with matatu minibuses sporting cartoonish liveries, and trucks billowing black smoke into the dazzling African light.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A minivan used as a shared taxi, especially one operating without a licence."
],
"links": [
[
"minivan",
"minivan"
],
[
"used",
"use#Verb"
],
[
"shared taxi",
"shared taxi"
],
[
"operating",
"operate"
],
[
"licence",
"licence#Noun"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(Kenya, Uganda) A minivan used as a shared taxi, especially one operating without a licence."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"english": "Tanzania",
"word": "daladala"
},
{
"tags": [
"Sheng",
"slang"
],
"word": "mathree"
}
],
"tags": [
"Kenya",
"Uganda"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/məˈtætuː/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-matatu.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/38/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-matatu.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-matatu.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/38/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-matatu.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-matatu.wav.ogg"
},
{
"audio": "Sw-ke-matatu.flac",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d0/Sw-ke-matatu.flac/Sw-ke-matatu.flac.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d0/Sw-ke-matatu.flac/Sw-ke-matatu.flac.ogg"
},
{
"ipa": "/məˈtɑˌtu/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "minivan often used as a share taxi — see also minivan, shared taxi",
"word": "matatu"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "minivan often used as a share taxi — see also minivan, shared taxi",
"word": "reittitaksi"
},
{
"code": "sw",
"lang": "Swahili",
"sense": "minivan often used as a share taxi — see also minivan, shared taxi",
"tags": [
"Kenya"
],
"word": "matatu"
},
{
"code": "sw",
"lang": "Swahili",
"sense": "minivan often used as a share taxi — see also minivan, shared taxi",
"tags": [
"Sheng"
],
"word": "moshogi"
},
{
"code": "sw",
"lang": "Swahili",
"sense": "minivan often used as a share taxi — see also minivan, shared taxi",
"tags": [
"Sheng"
],
"word": "shedhi"
},
{
"code": "sw",
"english": "Tanzania",
"lang": "Swahili",
"sense": "minivan often used as a share taxi — see also minivan, shared taxi",
"word": "daladala"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "matatu",
"sense": "minivan often used as a share taxi — see also minivan, shared taxi",
"word": "матату"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "matrej",
"sense": "minivan often used as a share taxi — see also minivan, shared taxi",
"word": "матрей"
}
],
"word": "matatu"
}
Download raw JSONL data for matatu meaning in English (5.6kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-25 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-20 using wiktextract (c15a5ce and 5c11237). 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.