Bantu

noun

plural Bantu or Bantus
1
: a family of Niger-Congo languages spoken in central and southern Africa
2
: a member of any of a group of African peoples who speak Bantu languages

Examples of Bantu in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This was my exact thought when listening to snippets of his new album, Hymns of Bantu. Brittney Melton, NPR, 25 Feb. 2025 The New York Times reported that the thief wrote their message in Luganda, a Bantu language of Uganda. Angie Orellana Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2024 How Hunter-Gatherers Learned Language For instance, scientists suspect that hunter-gathers in the Congo Basin absorbed languages from their farming neighbors, the Bantu. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 29 May 2024 The Bantu language used in the two emails to The Times is clunky in spots, according to a translator who reviewed the emails, while the English of the court documents the company has filed has been fluent. Matt Stevens, New York Times, 28 May 2024 See All Example Sentences for Bantu

Word History

Etymology

ba-, a plural noun classifier + -ntu, noun base meaning "person" in several Bantu languages

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Bantu was in 1862

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Cite this Entry

“Bantu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Bantu. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

Bantu

noun
plural Bantu or Bantus
1
: a group of African languages spoken in central and southern Africa
2
: a member of any of a group of African peoples who speak Bantu languages
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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