bantu
|ban-tu|
/ˈbæntuː/
African 'people' / language family
Etymology
'bantu' originates from Proto-Bantu, specifically from the elements 'ba-' (a plural prefix) and 'ntʊ'/'ntu' meaning 'person', where the combination literally signified 'people'.
'bantu' was introduced into European linguistic literature in the 19th century (notably by Wilhelm Bleek) as a label based on the Proto-Bantu components 'ba-' + 'ntu', and was adopted into English as 'Bantu' to refer to the languages and peoples.
Initially, the components meant simply 'person' (ntu) and a plural marker (ba-), but over time the combined term came to be used as a technical label in linguistics and anthropology for a broad group of related languages and the peoples who speak them.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a collective term for the many ethnolinguistic groups in central, eastern and southern Africa who speak Bantu languages; often used to refer to these peoples as a group.
Many bantu communities live across central and southern Africa.
Synonyms
Noun 2
the family of related languages spoken by those peoples, often called the Bantu languages (a major branch of the Niger–Congo family).
Swahili is one of the bantu languages spoken in East Africa.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
relating to the Bantu peoples or their languages (e.g., Bantu culture, Bantu-speaking).
Researchers study bantu migration patterns and cultural exchange.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/13 03:34