kita

From Proto-Bantu *bìtáà (“war, army”), derived from Proto-Bantu *bʊ̀táà (“bow”).


kitara

Borrowed from Omani Arabic كِتّارة (kittāra, “sabre”), from Hindi कटार (kaṭār).


uta

Baada ya kukabidhi uta, mshale na shoka lake kwa mwindaji mwenzake wa Hadzabe, Zigwadzee alishika fimbo fupi iliyochongoka na akaingia shimoni.

2017 August 18, “Chakula cha Wahadzabe cha matunda na nungunungu Tanzania”, in BBC News Swahili:

After handing over his bow, arrow and ax to his fellow Hadzabe hunter, Zigwadzee grabbed a short pointed stick and entered the pit.


tapo

Probably from Ottoman Turkish طابور (tabur, “battalion”).


panga

'Silaha yao (teleza) kubwa ni kisu na panga.'

2019 June 10, “Wanawake wa Kigoma watoroka wakihofia wabakaji Tanzania maarufu 'Teleza' [Kigoma women flee in fear of Tanzanian rapists 'Teleza']”, in BBC News Swahili:

'Their (Teleza's) chief weapons are the knife and the machete.'


droni

2022 April 18, “Vita vya Ukraine: Je, droni ndiyo itakayoamua mshindi wa vita siku zijazo?”, in BBC News Swahili:

Will the drone decide the winner of future wars?


ramia

(firearms) cartridge, round of ammunition


mwanajeshi

sw-noun

mwanajeshi (m-wa class, plural wanajeshi)


jeshi

army (large, highly organised military force concerned mainly with ground operations)


bunduki

→ Iraqw: punduki

→ Kituba: munduki

→ Lingala: bondóki

→ Luganda: emmundu

→ Luo: bunde

→ Nzadi: onduk

→ Rwanda-Rundi: imbunda

Borrowed from Omani Arabic بُنْدُق (bunduq, “rifle”), from Arabic بُنْدُق (bunduq, “hazelnut; projectile”).


operesheni

(military) operation (military campaign)


kamanda

commander (one who exercises control and direction of an organization)


askari

askari (canonical)
askari (plural)
maaskari (plural)

→ Chichewa: msilikali, msirikali

→ English: askari

→ French: askari

→ German: Askari

→ Iraqw: askaari

→ Italian: ascaro

→ Polish: askarys

Borrowed from Arabic عَسْكَرِيّ (ʕaskariyy).


jenerali

general (rank higher than a colonel or brigadier)


mzinga

hive (a box or basket for the reception and habitation of a swarm of honeybees)


kifaru

kifaru kimojawapo


bimbashi

From Ottoman Turkish بیڭباشی (biñbaşı, “lieutenant colonel”), from بیڭ (biñ, “thousand”) + باش (baş, “head”) – ”one who is the head of a group of thousand”.


risasi

→ Digo: risasi

→ Jita: ri-saási

→ Kikuyu: rĩthathi

→ Luganda: `ssasì

→ Nyakyusa: ilísasí

→ Nyankole: iːsási, amasási, kisási


meja jenerali

sw-noun

meja jenerali (ma class, plural mameja jenerali)


luteni

lieutenant (lowest ranked military officer)


baruti

Borrowed from Omani Arabic باروت (bārūt), ultimately from Arabic بَارُود (bārūd).


afande

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish افندی (efendi) (modern Turkish efendi), which was used as a rank of non-European officer in several military forces in colonial Africa.

sir (polite term of address, principally used with military men)


kombora

Borrowed from Arabic قُنْبُرة (qumbura), from Ottoman Turkish خمبره (humbara, kumbara), from Persian خمباره (xombâra).


upinde

Neanderthals hawakutumia pinde, lakini muda wa muonekano kwa upinde unamaanisha kuwa Homo sapiens waliutumia dhidi yao.

2022 January 15, “Uvumbuzi wa binadamu wa kale ulivyochangia kukua kwa teknolojia”, in BBC Swahili:

Neanderthals did not use bows, but the time of appearance of the bow means that Homo sapiens used it against them.


bomu la ardhini

sw-noun

bomu la ardhini (ma class, plural mabomu ya ardhini)


bunduki kubwa

bunduki kubwa (n class, plural bunduki kubwa)


abtali

Borrowed from Arabic أَبْطَال (ʔabṭāl), plural of بَطَل (baṭal).


mwanamgambo

mwanamgambo (m-wa class, plural wanamgambo)

kundi la wanamgambo


vita vya msituni

vita vya msituni (ki-vi class, plural only)


vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe

vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe (ki-vi class, plural only)

2022 March 22, “Wanawake waliolipa gharama ya vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe vya Ethiopia”, in BBC News Swahili:

The women who paid the price of Ethiopia's civil war


luteni kanali

luteni kanali (ma class, plural maluteni kanali)

Borrowed from English lieutenant colonel.


luteni jenerali

sw-noun

luteni jenerali (ma class, plural maluteni jenerali)

Borrowed from English lieutenant general.


luteni wa pili

sw-noun

luteni wa pili (ma class, plural maluteni wa pili)


piga vita

-piga vita (canonical)
kupiga vita (infinitive)


silaha ndogo ndogo

silaha ndogo ndogo (n class, plural silaha ndogo ndogo)


uwanja wa vita

uwanja wa vita (u class, plural nyanja za vita)


usitishaji

From u- + -sitisha (“to cause to pause”) + -aji.


usitishaji mapigano

sw-noun

usitishaji mapigano (u class, no plural)


silaha ya moto

silaha ya moto (n class, plural silaha za moto)


zana ya vita

zana ya vita (n class, plural zana za vita)


ndege nyuki

ndege nyuki (n class, plural ndege nyuki)


silaha ya kemikali

silaha ya kemikali (n class, plural silaha za kemikali)


silaha ya nyuklia

silaha ya nyuklia (n class, plural silaha za nyuklia)


nguvu ya nyuklia

nguvu ya nyuklia (n class, plural nguvu za nyuklia)