Swahili (Swa|hili)

noun (plural )

• 1 [mass noun] a Bantu language widely used as a lingua franca in East Africa and having official status in several countries. There are probably fewer than 2 million native speakers, but it is in everyday use by over 20 million. Also called Kiswahili.

• 2a member of a people of Zanzibar and nearby coastal regions, descendants of the original speakers of Swahili.

adjective

• relating to Swahili or to its native speakers.