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Chapter 1
IN THIS CHAPTER
Swahili words you already know
Swahili alphabet sounds
Pronouncing consonant clusters
Welcome to Swahili! You're about to discover the most widely spoken African language and join 50 million other speakers of Swahili worldwide! Let's start by assuring you that it is a relatively easy language to learn, so settle in and enjoy this journey.
We begin this chapter by showing you some Swahili words and phrases that you might already know or recognize from pop culture and everyday usage, before introducing the Swahili alphabet and explaining the pronunciation of common consonant clusters. Be sure to listen to audio files we've put online for you and practice along with the pronunciations for a firm foundation for speaking Swahili like the locals.
Swahili has gained steady visibility worldwide through the influence of pop culture. Most times, when we ask new students what Swahili words they already know, there's a chorus of Hakuna matata! (hah-koo-nah mah-tah-tah) (No worries!). Did you know that The Lion King has more Swahili words than hakuna matata? For example
Music is another avenue through which Swahili words and phrases have spread around the world. For example:
Perhaps you've noticed some names from African-American celebrity households but had no idea they have Swahili origins. These include the following:
Some fictional characters also bear Swahili names. For example:
Are you planning on going on safari? East Africa is famous for its diverse wildlife and game parks that tourists visit in droves and loudly proclaim that they've booked a safari. Even Dora the Explorer uses the word safari for a drive around the African wilderness. To Swahili speakers, safari (sah-fah-ree) (trip/journey) can be a bus ride to the next town to visit a friend. (No wild animals involved.)
If you like board games and enjoy socializing with your friends and family over friendly challenges, you probably own a stack of Jenga blocks. Now you can tell your friends and family that Jenga (jeh-ngah) means to build.
Lastly, if your local cafe has chai latte or chai tea as options on the drinks menu, be aware that chai (chah-ee) just translates to tea in Swahili.
Sure, there are words that have been taken over whole into the English language, but the Swahili presence in English is more complicated than that. That's because Swahili has evolved by incorporating words from languages such as Arabic, Hindi, German, Portuguese, and even English into its lexicon. You'll notice that such words also adopt vowel endings and phonetic spellings to sound like original Swahili words. If you're a keen listener, you'll be able to create connections instantly and recognize these words. Check out the examples listed below:
Just like English, Swahili uses the Latin alphabet and has both consonants and vowels. Unlike English, however, Swahili pronunciation is relatively easier; you read it as it is written. This section guides you through the pronunciation of Swahili vowels, consonants, and consonant clusters found in the Swahili alfabeti (ah-lfah-beh-tee) (alphabet).
Swahili has five vowels. These vowels are similar to the five English vowels. The difference is in the pronunciation. If you speak German or Italian, you already pronounce Swahili vowels as they should be. Let's have a look at Table 1-1!
TABLE 1-1 Swahili vowels
Letter
Pronunciation
English equivalent
Example
Translation
Aa
ah
"a" in "apple"
mama (mah-mah)
mother
Ee
eh
"e" in "elephant"
pete (peh-teh)
ring
Ii
ee
"i" in "igloo"
giza (gee-zah)
darkness
Oo
oh
"o" in "ostrich"
moto (moh-toh)
fire
Uu
oo
"oo" in "tooth"
ukuta...
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