Zulu
Zulu
UK[ˈzuːluː]US[ˈzuːluː]
n
A member of a South African people traditionally living mainly in KwaZulu-Natal province.
n
The Bantu language of the Zulu people.
adj
Relating to the Zulu people or their language.
Etymology
The term 'Zulu' entered English in the 19th century from the Zulu language itself. It derives from the name of the founder of the Zulu kingdom, Zulu kaMalandela, whose name means "heaven." The clan name amaZulu thus translates poetically as "people of heaven." English adopted the root 'Zulu' to refer collectively to the nation, its people, and their language, reflecting direct linguistic borrowing without morphological decomposition in the receiving language.
Analysis
The word 'Zulu' is a simplex loanword adopted into English. It originates from the Zulu endonym amaZulu, meaning "people of heaven," from zulu ("heaven, sky").
Examples
He learned to speak Zulu while working in Durban.
The Zulu kingdom played a major role in southern African history.
She is studying Zulu traditional beadwork and its symbolism.