Here’s a lively “Did You Know?” post for your own Language & Culture series: 

ubuntusafa.com #ubuntusafacom

Yes — and it’s a fascinating example of how African languages have influenced global communication!

Many common English words have roots in African languages?

African languages have contributed richly to English vocabulary, especially through cultural exchange, trade, and history. Here are some everyday words with African origins:

• Banana — from Wolof (Senegal, Gambia) “banana”

• Bongo — a type of drum, from a Bantu language

• Jumbo — meaning large, comes from the Swahili word “jambo” meaning “hello” or “thing” (popularized by the famous 19th-century elephant named Jumbo)

• Safari — from Swahili, meaning “journey”

• Ubuntu — a Nguni Bantu word meaning “humanity” or “I am because we are”

• Zombie — believed to come from Kikongo or Kimbundu languages, referring to a spirit or reanimated corpse

These words remind us that language is alive and constantly shaped by cultures meeting and mingling.

Quote for Thought

“Language is the bridge across time and space — and Africa’s words cross oceans.”
— Voices in Words