THE KENYA-TANZANIA CONNECTION;- KISWAHILI SLANG FINDS A HOME IN KENYA.

THE KENYA-TANZANIA CONNECTION;- KISWAHILI SLANG FINDS A HOME IN KENYA.

NAIROBI KENYA- Now “Nairobians” ( people from Nairobi as they refer to themselves in their circles) have welcomed the use of swahili slang. Ever since Bongo music from Tanzania found its way in FM stations, then Nairobi and the whole of Kenya has taken up the new slangs from Tanzania. From radio stations to TV-shows and now even the streets.

There is also the influence of the Swahili slang from Mombasa Kenya and now it seems that “ sheng”- the streets slang that originates from the Nairobi ghetto may be facing extinction. But that remains to be seen. One thing with slangs is that they appreciate one another despite location difference- one can find words in Tanzanian slang used in Kenyan “sheng” and vice versa!

Today we travel to Tanzania to bring you some popular street slangs…

Kiswahili Slang Dictionary
('Kamusi ya Kiswahili cha Mtaani')

Word	Meaning	Literal Meaning	Other 'street' synonym	Use instead	Widely known	Example Sentence
Bongo	Tanzania, Tanganyika, Dar es Salaam	brain	Bongoland	Tanzania, Tanganyika, Dar es Salaam	TRUE	Ili uweze kuishi Bongoland, lazima uwe na miradi.
changudoa	young prostitute	a specie of fish	CD	kahaba	TRUE	Machangudoa wanakabiliwa na hatari ya UKIMWI.
chuna	extort money	skin (someone)	chanja	toza	TRUE	Wanachojua watoto wa mjini ni kuwachuna wote wanaozubaa.
Dizim	Dar es Salaam	DSM	Bongo	Dar	TRUE	Kila mtu anatamani japo kufika tu Dizim.
kitimoto	pork	hot seat	mkuu wa meza	nyama ya nguruwe	TRUE	Siku hiyo kila mtu alipika kitimoto.
kitu kidogo	bribe	something little	chauchau, chai	rushwa, hongo	TRUE	Kitu kidogo kinasababisha huduma duni za jamii.
lupango	prison		selo	jela	TRUE	Kwenda Lupango ni sawa na kuhukumiwa kifo.
majuu	'up'	abroad	mamtoni, kwa mama	ng'ambo	TRUE	Tangu achaguliwe anaenda majuu kama Kariakoo.
matanuzi	extravagance	'extension'		matumizi	TRUE	matanuzi yana gharama kubwa.
mguu wa kuku	pistol	a hen's leg	chuma	bastola	TRUE	Mtu mwenye pesa sasa anaweza kujipatia 'mguu wa kuku' dukani.
mwanga (pl. wanga)	witch	light	gagula	mchawi, mshirikina	TRUE	Alipomkuta kaburini usiku, alimhisi kuwa ni mwanga.
ngurumbili	human being			mtu, binadamu	FALSE	Huwezi kumdhibiti ngurumbili
njagu (pl. manjagu)	police officer		mwela, njago	polisi, askari	TRUE	Kinachotukera ni mtindo wa yule njago kukamata watu ovyo.
sirikali	government	'hot secret'		Serikali	TRUE	Sirikali nyingi za Afrika hazizingatii haki za binadamu.
ukapa	economic depression, lack of money, lack of purchasing power		kuwamba, kuwaka, kuchalala	Ukata	TRUE	Ukapa mwaka huu utatuua! Hata dawa za homa tu hatumudu kununua!
ulabu	any local brew		udirinki, mataputapu, 'taps'	Pombe ya kienyeji	TRUE	Baada ya kupata ulabu, alianza kufanya mambo ya ajizi.
ung'eng'e	English language		Kimombo	Kiingereza	TRUE	Anayeongea ung'eng'e huonwa msomi.
ngangari	stable, unswerving		ngunguri	thabiti, imara	TRUE	Baada ya wao kuwa ngangari, manjagu wakawa ngunguri.
kasheshe	mayhem, furore		kosovo, zohali, sheshe	vurumai, vurugu	TRUE	Maandamo yalileta kasheshe kubwa!
kideo	1. Video  2. gazing-stock	One Video		1. Video 2. Kituko	TRUE	hakujua alikuwa anaonekana kideo.
Bushi	Rural area	Bush	Usweken	Kijijini / Vijijini	TRUE	Alivyo utafikiri katoka Bushi jana!
Gogo	Passenger train	a tribe in central Tanzania		garimoshi, treni	TRUE	Enzi zetu tulikuwa tunapanda gogo bure
mnoko	Someone 'too' strict		mkuda, mnaa, kinaa	mwadilifu	TRUE	Amekuwa mwalimu wa nidhamu kutokana na kuwa mnoko.
noma	embarassment, scandal		skendo	Kadhia, Kashfa	TRUE	Ikawa noma kweli alipokamatwa
Maimuna	S/he who cannot speak or understand a language or a specific knowledge	A female name		Hafahamu, maamuma	TRUE	Walimwita 'Maimuna' kwa vile tu eti alishindwa kuongea Kiingereza!
Kihiyo (pl. Vihiyo)	A person who is supposed to be an expert, but actually is not trully qualified.	A male name		Asiye na sifa	TRUE	Vihiyo Bongoland wako kila mahali.
Dala (n)	Five	Dollar	Gwala	Tano	TRUE	Mchezaji wao namba Dala aliwasaidia sana wasifungwe.
=bomu (v)	To beg from some one, especially money.	bomb	-piga mzinga	-omba	TRUE	Walevi wa madawa ya kulevya hawaoni haya kumbomu kila mtu
Mzungu wa Unga (n)	Drug dealer	"A white person with flour"	Zungu la Unga	Muuza madawa ya kulevya	TRUE	Wanaokamatwa mara nyingi ni watumiaji wadogo, na si wazungu wa unga.

Citation: Mtembezi, Chumvi. 2000. Kiswahili Slang Dictionary. Chumvi Mtembezi, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. URL:http://chumvi.tripod.com/Kiswahili_slang_dictionary.html. Version 0.7Alpha. Last updated: December 15, 2000.