nyama

Chichewa

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *nɲàmà.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɲa.ma/

Noun

nyama class 9 (plural nyama class 10)

1. animal
2. meat

Fanagalo

Etymology

From Zulu inyama, from Proto-Bantu *nɲàmà.

Noun

nyama

1. meat

Kikuyu

FWOTD – 28 August 2022

Etymology 1

Hinde (1904) records nyama as an equivalent of English meat in “Jogowini dialect” of Kikuyu, listing also “Ulu dialect” (spoken then from Machakos to coastal area) of Kamba nyamma and “Nganyawa dialect” (spoken then in Kitui District) of Kamba nama, and Swahili nyama as its equivalents.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɲàmàꜜ/

As for Tonal Class, Armstrong (1940) classifies this term into moondo class which includes mũndũ, huko, igego, igoti, inooro, irigũ, irũa, kĩbaata, kĩmũrĩ, kũgũrũ, mũciĩ, mũgeni, mũri, mwaki (“fire”), ndaka, ndigiri, njagathi, njogu, Mũrĩmi (“man's name”), etc. Benson (1964) classifies this term into Class 1 with a disyllabic stem, together with ndaka, and so on.

• (Kiambu)

• (Limuru) As for Tonal Class, Yukawa (1981) classifies this term into a group including cindano, huko, iburi, igego, igoti, ini (pl. mani), inooro, irigũ, irũa, iturubarĩ (pl. maturubarĩ), kĩbaata, kĩmũrĩ, kũgũrũ, mũciĩ, mũgeni, mũgũrũki, mũmbirarũ, mũndũ, mũri, mũthuuri, mwaki (“fire”), mwario (“way of speaking”), mbogoro, nda, ndaka, ndigiri, ngo, njagathi, njogu, nyondo (“breast(s)”), and so on.

Noun

nyama class 9

1. meat, flesh

Derived terms

(Proverbs)

• ikai rĩa nyama ti rĩa ngwacĩ
• mũndũ ũtarĩ mbũri ndendaga nyama
• nyama ya mbũri ndiunagwo na iru

See also

• mũcingũ

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɲàmáꜜ/

As for Tonal Class, Benson (1964) classifies this term into Class 3 with a disyllabic stem, together with kĩhaato, mbembe, kiugo, and so on.

• (Kiambu)

• (Limuru) As for Tonal Class, Yukawa (1981) classifies this term into a group including bũrũri (pl. mabũrũri), ikara, ikinya, itimũ, kanitha (pl. makanitha), kiugo, kĩhaato, maguta, mũgeka, mũkonyo, mũrata, mwana, mbembe, mbũri, nyaga, riitho, riũa, rũrĩmĩ (pl. nĩmĩ), ũhoro (pl. mohoro), and so on.

Noun

nyama class 9/10 (plural nyama)

1. aardvark

Lala (South Africa)

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *nɲàmà.

Noun

nyama

1. meat

Lingala

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *nɲàmà.

Noun

nyama class 9 (plural nyama class 10, colloquial plural banyama class 2)

1. animal
2. meat
3. idiot

Sango

Noun

nyama

1. animal
2. meat

Shona

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *nɲàmà.

Noun

nyama class 9 (plural nyama class 10)

1. meat

Swahili

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *nɲàmà.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Democratic Republic of the Congo, non-native speaker):

  (file)

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Noun

nyama (n class, no plural)

1. meat

Related terms

• mnyama

Tsonga

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *nɲàmà.

Noun

nyama class 9

1. meat