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)


roda

roda class IX (canonical)
roda class X (plural)

Borrowed from Portuguese roda (“wheel”).


tanga

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


tumbo

tumbo class V (canonical)
matumbo class VI (plural)


boya

boya class V (canonical)
maboya class VI (plural)


stima

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


boriti

sw-noun

boriti class V (plural maboriti class VI)

boriti class V (canonical)
maboriti class VI (plural)

(nautical) beam (transverse member of a ship's frame)


bandari

bandari class IX (plural bandari class X)

bandari class IX (canonical)
bandari class X (plural)

From Arabic بَنْدَر (bandar), from Persian بندر (bandar).


buti

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


falka

falka class IX (canonical)
falka class X (plural)

Possibly from Arabic فُلْك (fulk, “ship”).


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).


nanga

nanga class IX (canonical)
nanga class X (plural)

anchor (tool to hook a vessel into sea bottom)


mlingoti

sw-noun

mlingoti class III (plural milingoti class IV)

mlingoti class III (canonical)
milingoti class IV (plural)


nyambizi

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)


nahodha

nahodha class V (plural manahodha class VI)

nahodha class V (canonical)
manahodha class VI (plural)

Etymology tree
Middle Persian nʾw
Classical Persian نَاو (nāw)
Middle Persian hwtʾy
Classical Persian خُدَای (xudāy)
Classical Persian خُدَا (xudā)
Classical Persian نَاوْخُدَا (nāwxudā)
Classical Persian نَاخُدَا (nāxudā)bor.
Arabic نَاخُوذَاة (nāḵūḏāh)bor.
Swahili nahodha
Borrowed from Arabic نَاخُوذَاة (nāḵūḏāh), borrowed from Classical Persian نَاخُدَا (nāxudā), from نَاوْخُدَا (nāwxudā), from نَاو (nāw) + خُدَا (xudā).


ujari

ujari class XI (canonical)
njari class X (plural)

(nautical) rope used to maneuver a steering wheel


usukani

sw-noun

usukani class XI (plural sukani class X)

usukani class XI (canonical)
sukani class X (plural)


boti

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


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).


kisi

-kisi (canonical)
kukisi (infinitive)
kukisi (infinitive)
kutokisi (infinitive negative)
kisi (imperative singular)
kisini (imperative plural)
hukisi (habitual)
positive subject concord + -likisi (past)
negative subject concord + -kukisi (negative past)
ninakisi (first-person present singular)
nakisi (first-person present singular)
tunakisi (first-person plural present)
unakisi (present second-person singular)
mnakisi (plural present second-person)
anakisi (class-1 class-2 present singular third-person)
wanakisi (class-1 class-2 plural present third-person)
positive subject concord + -nakisi (present third-person)
sikisi (first-person negative present singular)
hatukisi (first-person negative plural present)
hukisi (negative present second-person singular)
hamkisi (negative plural present second-person)
hakisi (class-1 class-2 negative present singular third-person)
hawakisi (class-1 class-2 negative plural present third-person)
negative subject concord + -kisi (negative present third-person)
positive subject concord + -takisi (future)
negative subject concord + -takisi (future negative)
nikisi (first-person singular subjunctive)
tukisi (first-person plural subjunctive)
ukisi (second-person singular subjunctive)
mkisi (plural second-person subjunctive)
akisi (class-1 class-2 singular subjunctive third-person)
wakisi (class-1 class-2 plural subjunctive third-person)
positive subject concord + -kisi (subjunctive third-person)
positive subject concord + -sikisi (negative subjunctive)
positive subject concord + -ngekisi (irrealis present)
positive subject concord + -singekisi (irrealis negative present)
positive subject concord + -ngalikisi (irrealis past)
positive subject concord + -singalikisi (irrealis negative past)
nakisi (first-person gnomic singular)
twakisi (first-person gnomic plural)
wakisi (gnomic second-person singular)
mwakisi (gnomic plural second-person)
akisi (class-1 class-2 gnomic singular third-person)
wakisi (class-1 class-2 gnomic plural third-person)
wakisi (class-3 class-4 gnomic singular third-person)
yakisi (class-3 class-4 gnomic plural third-person)
lakisi (class-5 class-6 gnomic singular third-person)
yakisi (class-5 class-6 gnomic plural third-person)
chakisi (class-7 class-8 gnomic singular third-person)
vyakisi (class-7 class-8 gnomic plural third-person)
yakisi (class-10 class-9 gnomic singular third-person)
zakisi (class-10 class-9 gnomic plural third-person)
wakisi (class-11 gnomic singular third-person)
kwakisi (class-15 class-17 gnomic singular third-person)
pakisi (class-16 gnomic singular third-person)
mwakisi (class-18 gnomic singular third-person)
positive subject concord + -mekisi (perfect)
positive subject concord + -meshakisi (already-form)
negative subject concord + -jakisi (not-yet-form)
positive subject concord + -kikisi (if-when-form)
positive subject concord + -sipokisi (if-not-form)
positive subject concord + -kakisi (consecutive subjunctive)
-nikisi (first-person indicative object-concord singular)
-tukisi (first-person indicative object-concord plural)
-kukisi (indicative object-concord second-person singular)
-wakisi (indicative object-concord plural second-person)
-kukisini (indicative object-concord plural second-person)
-wakisini (indicative object-concord plural second-person)
-mkisi (class-1 class-2 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-wakisi (class-1 class-2 indicative object-concord plural third-person)
-ukisi (class-3 class-4 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-ikisi (class-3 class-4 indicative object-concord plural third-person)
-likisi (class-5 class-6 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-yakisi (class-5 class-6 indicative object-concord plural third-person)
-kikisi (class-7 class-8 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-vikisi (class-7 class-8 indicative object-concord plural third-person)
-ikisi (class-10 class-9 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-zikisi (class-10 class-9 indicative object-concord plural third-person)
-ukisi (class-11 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-kukisi (class-15 class-17 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-pakisi (class-16 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-mukisi (class-18 indicative object-concord singular third-person)
-jikisi (indicative object-concord reflexive)
-kisiye (class-1 class-2 object-concord relative singular)
-kisio (class-1 class-2 object-concord plural relative)
-kisio (class-3 class-4 object-concord relative singular)
-kisiyo (class-3 class-4 object-concord plural relative)
-kisilo (class-5 class-6 object-concord relative singular)
-kisiyo (class-5 class-6 object-concord plural relative)
-kisicho (class-7 class-8 object-concord relative singular)
-kisivyo (class-7 class-8 object-concord plural relative)
-kisiyo (class-10 class-9 object-concord relative singular)
-kisizo (class-10 class-9 object-concord plural relative)
-kisio (class-11 object-concord relative singular)
-kisiko (class-15 class-17 object-concord relative singular)
-kisipo (class-16 object-concord relative singular)
-kisimo (class-18 object-concord relative singular)
-yekisi (class-1 class-2 object-concord relative singular)
-okisi (class-1 class-2 object-concord plural relative)
-okisi (class-3 class-4 object-concord relative singular)
-yokisi (class-3 class-4 object-concord plural relative)
-lokisi (class-5 class-6 object-concord relative singular)
-yokisi (class-5 class-6 object-concord plural relative)
-chokisi (class-7 class-8 object-concord relative singular)
-vyokisi (class-7 class-8 object-concord plural relative)
-yokisi (class-10 class-9 object-concord relative singular)
-zokisi (class-10 class-9 object-concord plural relative)
-okisi (class-11 object-concord relative singular)
-kokisi (class-15 class-17 object-concord relative singular)
-pokisi (class-16 object-concord relative singular)
-mokisi (class-18 object-concord relative singular)


mtumbwi

mtumbwi class III (plural mitumbwi class IV)

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


dhau

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


baharia

baharia class V (plural mabaharia class VI)

baharia class V (canonical)
mabaharia class VI (plural)

→ Malagasy: baharia

Borrowed from Arabic بَحَّار (baḥḥār, “sailor”), its plural بَحَّارِيَّة (baḥḥāriyya); compare bahari (“sea”).


jahazi

sw-noun

jahazi class V (plural majahazi class VI)

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


chombo

chombo class VII (plural vyombo class VIII)

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


dasturi

dasturi class IX (plural dasturi class X)

dasturi class IX (canonical)
dasturi class X (plural)


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”).


kiyunga

kiyunga class VII (plural viyunga class VIII)

kiyunga class VII (canonical)
viyunga class VIII (plural)

(nautical) hole in the beam of a boat where the mast is attached


kiwida

kiwida class VII (plural viwida class VIII)

kiwida class VII (canonical)
viwida class VIII (plural)


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.


safina

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

ark (ship of the biblical character Noah)


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.


tezi

tezi class V (canonical)
matezi class VI (plural)

(nautical) stern, poop (the rear part or after end of a ship or vessel)


merikebu

merikebu class IX (plural merikebu class X)

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


manowari

manowari class IX (plural manowari class X)

manowari class IX (canonical)
manowari class X (plural)


motaboti

motaboti class IX (plural motaboti class X)

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


mwanamaji

mwanamaji class I (plural wanamaji class II)

mwanamaji class I (canonical)
wanamaji class II (plural)


admirali

admirali class IX (plural admirali class X)

admirali class IX (canonical)
admirali class X (plural)


gubeti

gubeti class IX (canonical)
gubeti class X (plural)


kundi la manowari

kundi la manowari class V (plural makundi ya manowari class VI)

kundi la manowari class V (canonical)
makundi ya manowari class VI (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)


tishali

tishali class V (plural matishali class VI)

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


admeri

admeri class ? (plural [please provide])