ini

heart (seat of the emotions and feelings)


gumba

-gumba (canonical)
mgumba (singular)
wagumba (plural)
migumba (plural)
gumba (singular)
magumba (plural)
kigumba (singular)
vigumba (plural)
ngumba (singular)
ngumba (plural)
pagumba (singular)
kugumba (singular)
mugumba (singular)


baka

Borrowed from Arabic بَقَّعَ (baqqaʕa, “to stain”).

bor+

mark on the body (like a scar or birthmark)


paja

paja la kuku


ganda

-ganda (canonical)
kuganda (infinitive)
kuganda (infinitive)
kutoganda (infinitive negative)
ganda (imperative singular)
gandeni (imperative plural)
huganda (habitual)
positive subject concord + -liganda (past)
negative subject concord + -kuganda (negative past)
ninaganda (first-person present singular)
naganda (first-person present singular)
tunaganda (first-person plural present)
unaganda (present second-person singular)
mnaganda (plural present second-person)
anaganda (class-1 class-2 present singular third-person)
wanaganda (class-1 class-2 plural present third-person)
positive subject concord + -naganda (present third-person)
sigandi (first-person negative present singular)
hatugandi (first-person negative plural present)
hugandi (negative present second-person singular)
hamgandi (negative plural present second-person)
hagandi (class-1 class-2 negative present singular third-person)
hawagandi (class-1 class-2 negative plural present third-person)
negative subject concord + -gandi (negative present third-person)
positive subject concord + -taganda (future)
negative subject concord + -taganda (future negative)
nigande (first-person singular subjunctive)
tugande (first-person plural subjunctive)
ugande (second-person singular subjunctive)
mgande (plural second-person subjunctive)
agande (class-1 class-2 singular subjunctive third-person)
wagande (class-1 class-2 plural subjunctive third-person)
positive subject concord + -gande (subjunctive third-person)
positive subject concord + -sigande (negative subjunctive)
positive subject concord + -ngeganda (irrealis present)
positive subject concord + -singeganda (irrealis negative present)
positive subject concord + -ngaliganda (irrealis past)
naganda (first-person gnomic singular)
twaganda (first-person gnomic plural)
waganda (gnomic second-person singular)
mwaganda (gnomic plural second-person)
aganda (class-1 class-2 gnomic singular third-person)
waganda (class-1 class-2 gnomic plural third-person)
waganda (class-3 class-4 gnomic singular third-person)
yaganda (class-3 class-4 gnomic plural third-person)
laganda (class-5 class-6 gnomic singular third-person)
yaganda (class-5 class-6 gnomic plural third-person)
chaganda (class-7 class-8 gnomic singular third-person)
vyaganda (class-7 class-8 gnomic plural third-person)
yaganda (class-10 class-9 gnomic singular third-person)
zaganda (class-10 class-9 gnomic plural third-person)
waganda (class-11 gnomic singular third-person)
kwaganda (class-15 class-17 gnomic singular third-person)
paganda (class-16 gnomic singular third-person)
mwaganda (class-18 gnomic singular third-person)
positive subject concord + -meganda (perfect)
positive subject concord + -meshaganda (already-form)
negative subject concord + -jaganda (not-yet-form)
positive subject concord + -kiganda (if-when-form)
positive subject concord + -sipoganda (if-not-form)
positive subject concord + -kagande (consecutive subjunctive)
-niganda (first-person indicative object-concord singular)
-tuganda (first-person indicative object-concord plural)
-kuganda (indicative object-concord second-person singular)
-waganda (indicative object-concord plural second-person)
-kugandeni (indicative object-concord plural second-person)
-wagandeni (indicative object-concord plural second-person)
-mganda (class-1 class-2 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-waganda (class-1 class-2 indicative object-concord plural third-person)
-uganda (class-3 class-4 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-iganda (class-3 class-4 indicative object-concord plural third-person)
-liganda (class-5 class-6 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-yaganda (class-5 class-6 indicative object-concord plural third-person)
-kiganda (class-7 class-8 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-viganda (class-7 class-8 indicative object-concord plural third-person)
-iganda (class-10 class-9 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-ziganda (class-10 class-9 indicative object-concord plural third-person)
-uganda (class-11 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-kuganda (class-15 class-17 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-paganda (class-16 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-muganda (class-18 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-jiganda (indicative object-concord reflexive)
-gandaye (class-1 class-2 object-concord relative singular)
-gandao (class-1 class-2 object-concord plural relative)
-gandao (class-3 class-4 object-concord relative singular)
-gandayo (class-3 class-4 object-concord plural relative)
-gandalo (class-5 class-6 object-concord relative singular)
-gandayo (class-5 class-6 object-concord plural relative)
-gandacho (class-7 class-8 object-concord relative singular)
-gandavyo (class-7 class-8 object-concord plural relative)
-gandayo (class-10 class-9 object-concord relative singular)
-gandazo (class-10 class-9 object-concord plural relative)
-gandao (class-11 object-concord relative singular)
-gandako (class-15 class-17 object-concord relative singular)
-gandapo (class-16 object-concord relative singular)
-gandamo (class-18 object-concord relative singular)
-yeganda (class-1 class-2 object-concord relative singular)
-oganda (class-1 class-2 object-concord plural relative)
-oganda (class-3 class-4 object-concord relative singular)
-yoganda (class-3 class-4 object-concord plural relative)
-loganda (class-5 class-6 object-concord relative singular)
-yoganda (class-5 class-6 object-concord plural relative)
-choganda (class-7 class-8 object-concord relative singular)
-vyoganda (class-7 class-8 object-concord plural relative)
-yoganda (class-10 class-9 object-concord relative singular)
-zoganda (class-10 class-9 object-concord plural relative)
-oganda (class-11 object-concord relative singular)
-koganda (class-15 class-17 object-concord relative singular)
-poganda (class-16 object-concord relative singular)
-moganda (class-18 object-concord relative singular)

maziwa ya kuganda


jicho

→ Malagasy: maso (from the plural macho)


pua

Cognate with Chichewa mphuno and Shona mhuno.


pua

A very old borrowing, ultimately from Persian پولاد (pulâd).


mgongo

uti wa mgongo


mkono

cubit, ell (a traditional unit of measurement, approximately 50 cm)


koo

koo la kuku

koo la mbuzi


goti

(anatomy) knee (joint in the middle of the leg and area around it)


moyo

نِيَضِهِرِشِ يَغُ مَقَالِ ، اَبَيُ مُيُوْنِ نِقُصُدِيِ

R. Allen (1946) “Inkishafi—a translation from the Swahili”, in African Studies, volume 5, number 4, →DOI, pages 243–249

Let me set forth the plan which I have in my heart.

Niyaḍihirishe yangu maqali, ambayo moyoni niquṣudiye.

heart (feelings and emotions, seat of the affections or sensibilities)


taya

taya (canonical)
mataya (plural)
taya (plural)


shingo

neck (the part of body connecting the head and the trunk found in humans and some animals)


kiwiliwili

sw-noun

kiwiliwili (ki-vi class, plural viwiliwili)

torso (body excluding the head and limbs)


mwili

(anatomy) trunk (central part of the body)


ziwa

From the same Cushitic borrowing as maziwa (“milk”), which represents the original semantics, but was shifted to a plurale tantum to match other liquids.


mkia

mkia wa ndege


mkundu

anus (lower opening of the digestive tract)


unyoya

unyoya (canonical)
nyoya (plural)
manyoya (plural)

fur (hairy coat of a mammal, especially when fine, soft and thick)


mboni

pupil of the eyeball (hole in the middle of the iris of the eye)


kitovu

umbilical cord (cord between foetus and placenta)


balaghamu

phlegm (mucus secreted in the bronchial passages)


kikoromeo

kikoromeo (ki-vi class, plural vikoromeo)

Adam's apple, larynx (the lump in the throat)


jasho

sweat (fluid that exits the body through pores)


ukope

From Common Bantu *dʊ̀kópè. Cognate with Zulu ukhophe (“eyelash”), Chichewa chikope (“eyelid”), Rwanda-Rundi ingohe (“eyelash”).


kichwa

Nurse & Hinnebusch (1993) claim this word is from the root of mchwa (“termite”), based on a physical comparison to termite mounds.


mvi

Alikuwa na ndevu nyingi zilizojaa mvi za singa.

1989, Saidi Amri, Sauti ya kaburi, page 8:

He had a large beard filled with straight grey hairs.


ubavu

kulala ubavu


ubawa

ubawa (canonical)
mabawa (plural)
mbawa (plural)


udevu

Udevu upi uliokatwa kwa wembe?

Which beard hair was cut off with a razor?


hemoglobini

hemoglobini (n class, plural hemoglobini)


ukucha

ukucha (canonical)
kucha (plural)
makucha (plural)


miwani

From Arabic; apparently مِعْوَان (miʕwān, “aid”) had the meaning “reading aid” in East Africa, compare known عُوَيْنَات (ʕuwaynāt, “glasses”).


unywele

a piece of hair (a pigmented filament of keratin which grows from a follicle on the human head)


kidole gumba

kidole gumba (ki-vi class, plural vidole gumba)


tundu la pua

tundu la pua (ma class, plural matundu ya pua)


tezi

(anatomy) gland (organ that synthesizes and secretes substance)


kidole cha shahada

kidole cha shahada (ki-vi class, plural vidole vya shahada)


chanda

frond of the coconut palm, used for thatch


kiwele

From Proto-Bantu *ìbéèdè, borrowed into the standard language from a southern dialect.


zoloto

zoloto (canonical)
mazoloto (plural)
zoloto (plural)


koromeo

koromeo (canonical)
makoromeo (plural)
koromeo (plural)


kidole cha mkono

kidole cha mkono (ki-vi class, plural vidole vya mkono)


kidole cha mguu

kidole cha mguu (ki-vi class, plural vidole vya mguu)


mwanzi wa pua

mwanzi wa pua (m-mi class, plural mianzi ya pua)


kifundo cha mguu

kifundo cha mguu (ki-vi class, plural vifundo vya mguu)


piga mswaki

-piga mswaki (canonical)
kupiga mswaki (infinitive)


kidole cha pete

kidole cha pete (ki-vi class, plural vidole vya pete)

ring finger (finger next to the little finger)


tahiri

-tahiri (canonical)
kutahiri (infinitive)
kutahiri (infinitive)
kutotahiri (infinitive negative)
tahiri (imperative singular)
tahirini (imperative plural)
hutahiri (habitual)
positive subject concord + -litahiri (past)
negative subject concord + -kutahiri (negative past)
ninatahiri (first-person present singular)
natahiri (first-person present singular)
tunatahiri (first-person plural present)
unatahiri (present second-person singular)
mnatahiri (plural present second-person)
anatahiri (class-1 class-2 present singular third-person)
wanatahiri (class-1 class-2 plural present third-person)
positive subject concord + -natahiri (present third-person)
sitahiri (first-person negative present singular)
hatutahiri (first-person negative plural present)
hutahiri (negative present second-person singular)
hamtahiri (negative plural present second-person)
hatahiri (class-1 class-2 negative present singular third-person)
hawatahiri (class-1 class-2 negative plural present third-person)
negative subject concord + -tahiri (negative present third-person)
positive subject concord + -tatahiri (future)
negative subject concord + -tatahiri (future negative)
nitahiri (first-person singular subjunctive)
tutahiri (first-person plural subjunctive)
utahiri (second-person singular subjunctive)
mtahiri (plural second-person subjunctive)
atahiri (class-1 class-2 singular subjunctive third-person)
watahiri (class-1 class-2 plural subjunctive third-person)
positive subject concord + -tahiri (subjunctive third-person)
positive subject concord + -sitahiri (negative subjunctive)
positive subject concord + -ngetahiri (irrealis present)
positive subject concord + -singetahiri (irrealis negative present)
positive subject concord + -ngalitahiri (irrealis past)
natahiri (first-person gnomic singular)
twatahiri (first-person gnomic plural)
watahiri (gnomic second-person singular)
mwatahiri (gnomic plural second-person)
atahiri (class-1 class-2 gnomic singular third-person)
watahiri (class-1 class-2 gnomic plural third-person)
watahiri (class-3 class-4 gnomic singular third-person)
yatahiri (class-3 class-4 gnomic plural third-person)
latahiri (class-5 class-6 gnomic singular third-person)
yatahiri (class-5 class-6 gnomic plural third-person)
chatahiri (class-7 class-8 gnomic singular third-person)
vyatahiri (class-7 class-8 gnomic plural third-person)
yatahiri (class-10 class-9 gnomic singular third-person)
zatahiri (class-10 class-9 gnomic plural third-person)
watahiri (class-11 gnomic singular third-person)
kwatahiri (class-15 class-17 gnomic singular third-person)
patahiri (class-16 gnomic singular third-person)
mwatahiri (class-18 gnomic singular third-person)
positive subject concord + -metahiri (perfect)
positive subject concord + -meshatahiri (already-form)
negative subject concord + -jatahiri (not-yet-form)
positive subject concord + -kitahiri (if-when-form)
positive subject concord + -sipotahiri (if-not-form)
positive subject concord + -katahiri (consecutive subjunctive)
-nitahiri (first-person indicative object-concord singular)
-tutahiri (first-person indicative object-concord plural)
-kutahiri (indicative object-concord second-person singular)
-watahiri (indicative object-concord plural second-person)
-kutahirini (indicative object-concord plural second-person)
-watahirini (indicative object-concord plural second-person)
-mtahiri (class-1 class-2 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-watahiri (class-1 class-2 indicative object-concord plural third-person)
-utahiri (class-3 class-4 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-itahiri (class-3 class-4 indicative object-concord plural third-person)
-litahiri (class-5 class-6 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-yatahiri (class-5 class-6 indicative object-concord plural third-person)
-kitahiri (class-7 class-8 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-vitahiri (class-7 class-8 indicative object-concord plural third-person)
-itahiri (class-10 class-9 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-zitahiri (class-10 class-9 indicative object-concord plural third-person)
-utahiri (class-11 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-kutahiri (class-15 class-17 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-patahiri (class-16 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-mutahiri (class-18 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-jitahiri (indicative object-concord reflexive)
-tahiriye (class-1 class-2 object-concord relative singular)
-tahirio (class-1 class-2 object-concord plural relative)
-tahirio (class-3 class-4 object-concord relative singular)
-tahiriyo (class-3 class-4 object-concord plural relative)
-tahirilo (class-5 class-6 object-concord relative singular)
-tahiriyo (class-5 class-6 object-concord plural relative)
-tahiricho (class-7 class-8 object-concord relative singular)
-tahirivyo (class-7 class-8 object-concord plural relative)
-tahiriyo (class-10 class-9 object-concord relative singular)
-tahirizo (class-10 class-9 object-concord plural relative)
-tahirio (class-11 object-concord relative singular)
-tahiriko (class-15 class-17 object-concord relative singular)
-tahiripo (class-16 object-concord relative singular)
-tahirimo (class-18 object-concord relative singular)
-yetahiri (class-1 class-2 object-concord relative singular)
-otahiri (class-1 class-2 object-concord plural relative)
-otahiri (class-3 class-4 object-concord relative singular)
-yotahiri (class-3 class-4 object-concord plural relative)
-lotahiri (class-5 class-6 object-concord relative singular)
-yotahiri (class-5 class-6 object-concord plural relative)
-chotahiri (class-7 class-8 object-concord relative singular)
-vyotahiri (class-7 class-8 object-concord plural relative)
-yotahiri (class-10 class-9 object-concord relative singular)
-zotahiri (class-10 class-9 object-concord plural relative)
-otahiri (class-11 object-concord relative singular)
-kotahiri (class-15 class-17 object-concord relative singular)
-potahiri (class-16 object-concord relative singular)
-motahiri (class-18 object-concord relative singular)


adrenalini

(biochemistry) adrenaline (epinephrine, the hormone and neurotransmitter)


kidole cha kati

kidole cha kati (ki-vi class, plural vidole vya kati)


kidole cha mwisho

kidole cha mwisho (ki-vi class, plural vidole vya mwisho)


nyumba ya uzazi

nyumba ya uzazi (n class, plural nyumba za uzazi)


mfumo wa kinga

mfumo wa kinga (m-mi class, plural mifumo ya kinga)


homoni ya ukuaji

homoni ya ukuaji (n class, plural homoni za ukuaji)


kichokonoo

kichokonoo (ki-vi class, plural vichokonoo)


kionjamchuzi

kionjamchuzi (ki-vi class, plural vionjamchuzi)


daktari wa meno

daktari wa meno (ma class, plural madaktari wa meno)


chozi

tear (drop of clear, salty liquid produced from the eyes by crying or irritation)


nyonyo

From -nyonya (“to suck, to breastfeed”).


mchangiaji damu

mchangiaji damu (m-wa class, plural wachangiaji damu)


asidi ya pantotheni

asidi ya pantotheni (n class, no plural)


mtoto wa jicho

mtoto wa jicho (m-wa class, plural watoto wa jicho)


mlango wa kizazi

mlango wa kizazi (m-mi class, plural milango ya kizazi)


mlango wa uzazi

mlango wa uzazi (m-mi class, plural milango ya uzazi)


mfumo wa neva

mfumo wa neva (m-mi class, plural mifumo ya neva)


kibanio cha nywele

kibanio cha nywele (ki-vi class, plural vibanio vya nywele)


kiungo cha uzazi

kiungo cha uzazi (ki-vi class, plural viungo vya uzazi)


matapishi

From ma- + -tapisha (“to cause vomiting”).


maji ya kunde

Literally, “color of cowpeas”, i.e. the color of water when boiling black-eyed peas.


mbegu ya kiume

mbegu ya kiume (n class, plural mbegu za kiume)


foliki asidi

foliki asidi (n class, plural foliki asidi)


kliniki ya meno

kliniki ya meno (n class, plural kliniki za meno)