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Zulu

Pronunciation: /ˈzuːluː/
Translate Zulu | into Spanish
Definition of Zulu

noun

  • 1a member of a South African people traditionally living mainly in KwaZulu-Natal province.
  • [mass noun] the Bantu language of the Zulus, related to Xhosa and spoken by over 9 million people.
  • 2a code word representing the letter Z, used in radio communication.

adjective

  • relating to the Zulus or their language.

The Zulus formed a powerful military empire in southern Africa during the 19th century before being defeated in a series of engagements with white Afrikaner and British settlers. Some Zulus still live under the traditional clan system in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, but many now work in the cities. During the transfer to majority rule in South Africa in the 1990s the Zulu Inkatha movement clashed with other black groups and with the outgoing government and the African National Congress over future constitutional arrangements and demands for Zulu autonomy

Origin:

from the stem of Zulu umZulu (plural amaZulu)

Zulu in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of Zulu in the US English dictionary
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