meli

meli class IX (canonical)
meli class X (plural)

Borrowed from Omani Arabic ميل (mēl), from English mail, in reference to the steamers that brought mail.


dau

dau class V (canonical)
madau class VI (plural)


tanga

tanga class V (canonical)
matanga class VI (plural)


basi

basi class V (canonical)
mabasi class VI (plural)


stima

stima class IX (canonical)
stima class X (plural)


lori

lori class V (canonical)
malori class VI (plural)


gari

gari class V (canonical)
magari class VI (plural)

→ Chichewa: galimoto

→ Kamba: ngali

→ Kikuyu: ngari

→ Maore Comorian: gari

→ Meru: ngari

Borrowed from Omani Arabic قاري (gāri, “car”), from Hindi गाड़ी (gāṛī, “cart, car”)/Urdu گاڑی (gāṛī) or Persian گاری (gâri, “cart”).

bor

Urdu گاڑی (gāṛī)

vehicle (any vehicle, including wagons and trains)


buti

buti class V (canonical)
mabuti class VI (plural)


buti

buti class IX (canonical)
buti class X (plural)

a traditional dance in which the dancers are in a circle with one in the middle


mashua

mashua class IX (canonical)
mashua class X (plural)

→ English: mashua

Borrowed from Omani Arabic ماشوة (māšūa ~ māšawwa), ultimately from an Indian source; compare Gujarati મછવો (machvo) (plural/oblique મછવા (machvā)), Marathi मचवा (macvā).


matatu

matatu class V (canonical)
matatu class VI (plural)

From -tatu (“three”), based on the original flat fare of thirty cents in the 1960s.


nyambizi

sw-noun

nyambizi class IX (plural nyambizi class X)

nyambizi class IX (canonical)
nyambizi class X (plural)


sabmarini

sabmarini class IX (plural sabmarini class X)

sabmarini class IX (canonical)
sabmarini class X (plural)


teksi

teksi class IX (canonical)
teksi class X (plural)


gurudumu

gurudumu class V (plural magurudumu class VI)

gurudumu class V (canonical)
magurudumu class VI (plural)

From Persian گردون (gardun, “wheel, chariot”).


hori

hori class V (canonical)
mahori class VI (plural)

Borrowed from Omani Arabic هوري (hōrī), from an Indian source, likely Hindi होड़ी (hoṛī) or Gujarati હોડી (hoḍī).


boti

boti class IX (canonical)
boti class X (plural)


pikipiki

sw-noun

pikipiki class IX (plural pikipiki class X)

pikipiki class IX (canonical)
pikipiki class X (plural)


dhau

dhau class IX (canonical)
dhau class X (plural)


mtumbwi

mtumbwi class III (plural mitumbwi class IV)

mtumbwi class III (canonical)
mitumbwi class IV (plural)


motokaa

motokaa class IX (plural motokaa class X)

motokaa class IX (canonical)
motokaa class X (plural)


bodaboda

bodaboda class IX (plural bodaboda class X)

bodaboda class IX (canonical)
bodaboda class X (plural)


jahazi

jahazi class V or IX (plural majahazi class VI or jahazi class X)

jahazi class V (canonical)
IX (canonical)
majahazi class VI (plural)
jahazi class X (plural)


chombo

chombo class VII (plural vyombo class VIII)

chombo class VII (canonical)
vyombo class VIII (plural)


riksho

riksho class IX (canonical)
riksho class X (plural)

Borrowed from Japanese 力車 (rikisha), probably via English rickshaw.


trekta

trekta class V (plural matrekta class VI)

trekta class V (canonical)
matrekta class VI (plural)


trela

trela class V (canonical)
matrela class VI (plural)


daladala

daladala class IX (plural daladala class X)

daladala class IX (canonical)
daladala class X (plural)

Reduplication of dala, from English dollar. The word dala is slang for 5 shillings, which was the daladala fare in the 1980s. Conductors would call dala, dala.


galawa

galawa class IX (canonical)
galawa class X (plural)

→ Chichewa: ngalawa

Of disputed origin, but widely considered a borrowing. The original meaning may be "outrigger" (as recorded in the dialect of Pemba), but Meinhof considered it to be from Portuguese galeão. Various other suggestions of Indian or Austronesian origin have been made.


barakinya

barakinya class IX (plural barakinya class X)

barakinya class IX (canonical)
barakinya class X (plural)

Borrowed from Portuguese barquinha, diminutive of barca, and probably modified after baraka (“blessing”).


skuta

skuta class IX (canonical)
skuta class X (plural)


tairi

tairi class V (canonical)
matairi class VI (plural)


klachi

klachi class IX (canonical)
klachi class X (plural)


safina

safina class IX (canonical)
safina class X (plural)

ark (ship of the biblical character Noah)


mtepe

mtepe class III (plural mitepe class IV)

mtepe class III (canonical)
mitepe class IV (plural)

A traditional kind of sewn boat with a projecting prow.


bedeni

bedeni class V (plural mabedeni class VI)

bedeni class V (canonical)
mabedeni class VI (plural)

The beden, a type of dhow in which the prow and stern are identical.


kabureta

kabureta class IX (plural kabureta class X)

kabureta class IX (canonical)
kabureta class X (plural)


madigadi

madigadi class IX (plural madigadi class X)

madigadi class IX (canonical)
madigadi class X (plural)


merikebu

merikebu class IX (plural merikebu class X)

merikebu class IX (canonical)
merikebu class X (plural)


bajaji

bajaji class IX (canonical)
bajaji class X (plural)

Ultimately from the name of the manufacturer, Bajaj Auto.

tuk-tuk, autorickshaw (motorised rickshaw)


motaboti

motaboti class IX (plural motaboti class X)

motaboti class IX (canonical)
motaboti class X (plural)


breki

breki class IX (canonical)
breki class X (plural)


satelaiti

satelaiti class IX (plural satelaiti class X)

satelaiti class IX (canonical)
satelaiti class X (plural)


tingatinga

tingatinga class ? (plural [please provide])


kichapuzi

kichapuzi class VII (plural vichapuzi class VIII)

kichapuzi class VII (canonical)
vichapuzi class VIII (plural)


buldoza

buldoza class IX (plural buldoza class X)

buldoza class IX (canonical)
buldoza class X (plural)


giaboksi

giaboksi class ? (plural [please provide])


difu

difu class IX (canonical)
difu class X (plural)

differential, differential gear (differential gear in an automobile)


ambulensi

ambulensi class IX (plural ambulensi class X)

ambulensi class IX (canonical)
ambulensi class X (plural)


chombo cha majini

chombo cha majini class VII (plural vyombo vya majini class VIII)

chombo cha majini class VII (canonical)
vyombo vya majini class VIII (plural)


gari la wagonjwa

gari la wagonjwa class V (plural magari ya wagonjwa class VI)

gari la wagonjwa class V (canonical)
magari ya wagonjwa class VI (plural)


gari la dharura

gari la dharura class V (plural magari ya dharura class VI)

gari la dharura class V (canonical)
magari ya dharura class VI (plural)


shangingi

shangingi class V (plural mashangingi class VI)

shangingi class V (canonical)
mashangingi class VI (plural)


sleji

sleji class IX (canonical)
sleji class X (plural)


mkweche

mkweche class III (plural mikweche class IV)

mkweche class III (canonical)
mikweche class IV (plural)


tishali

tishali class V (plural matishali class VI)

tishali class V (canonical)
matishali class VI (plural)


gari la taka

gari la taka class V (plural magari ya taka class VI)

gari la taka class V (canonical)
magari ya taka class VI (plural)


kapsuli

kapsuli class IX (plural kapsuli class X)

kapsuli class IX (canonical)
kapsuli class X (plural)