Association of British Scrabble Players

Language > Som - Ton > Swahili


Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.


baraza in E. Africa, a public meeting-place.
benga a form of Kenyan popular music featuring guitars.
boma in Africa, a thorn enclosure.
bwana a master, sir.
dengue a tropical fever. [Swahili dinga].
harambee a Swahili rallying cry, 'let's organize together'.
jambo an E. African salutation.
kanga khanga a piece of cotton cloth wound round the body as a dress.
kanzu a long white garment worn by men in E. Africa.
kikoi a piece of cloth wound round the waist.
kitenge a brightly coloured cotton cloth.
kwanza the standard monetary unit of Angola.
matatu a type of taxi used in Kenya.
miombo an area of deciduous woodland occurring in parts of E Africa > MIOMBOS.
mvule a large African tree of the mulberry family.
mwalimu a teacher.
mzee an old person.
mzungu in E. Africa, a white person.
panga an African knife, like a machete.
pombe an African alcoholic drink.
safari a hunter's or traveller's party or caravan, esp. in E. Africa; (verb) to go on safari.
serkali (in Africa) the Government; white rulers.
shamba in E. Africa, any plot, farm or smallholding used for growing crops.
simi in Africa, a short two-edged sword or large knife.
sitatunga situtunga a species of African antelope.
suffari a SAFARI.
uhuru freedom.
ujamaa in Tanzania, a form of village community resembling the Israeli kibbutz.