Bantu Words Popularised in Western Cultures
Some words from various Bantu languages have been borrowed into western languages. These include:
- Bomba
- Bongos
- Boogie-woogie
- Bwana
- Candombe
- Chimpanzee
- Conga
- Goobers
- Gumbo
- Hakuna matata
- Impala
- Indaba
- Jenga
- Jumbo
- Kalimba
- Kwanzaa
- Mamba
- Mambo
- Mbira
- Marimba
- Rumba
- Safari
- Samba
- Simba
- Ubuntu
A case has been made out for borrowings of many place-names and even misremembered rhymes such as "Here we go looby-loo ... " – chiefly from one of the Luba varieties – in the USA.
Read more about this topic: Bantu Languages
Famous quotes containing the words words, western and/or cultures:
“Since you were so thankfully confused
By law with someone else, you cannot be
Semantically the same as that young beauty:
It was of her that these two words were used.”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)
“Westron wind, when will thou blow?
The small rain down can rain.
Christ, that my love were in my arms,
And I in my bed again.”
—Unknown. Western Wind (l. 1–4)
“Because of our social circumstances, male and female are really two cultures and their life experiences are utterly different.”
—Kate Millet (b. 1934)