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Bantu
BANTU
Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language
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1998
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© Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language 1998, originally published by Oxford University Press 1998. (Hide copyright information)
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BANTU. A term with a neutral, scholarly use throughout the world and, especially formerly, a sociopolitical use in
SOUTH AFRICA that, in the context of apartheid, was largely pejorative and is therefore disliked by black South Africans. The international sense relates to a group of over 300 widely distributed and closely related languages of Black Africa south of a line from
CAMEROON to
KENYA, and by extension to c.60m people of various ethnic backgrounds who speak these languages. The
Bantu languages belong to the Niger–Congo family and include: Douala in Cameroon, Ganda in
UGANDA, Kongo in Zaïre, Nyanja in
MALAWI, Shona and Ndebele in
ZIMBABWE, Sotho in
LESOTHO and South Africa, Tsonga in Mozambique and South Africa, Tswana in BOTSWANA and South Africa, Siswati in
SWAZILAND, and Xhosa and Zulu in South Africa. The most widely used Bantu language is
SWAHILI, a
LINGUA FRANCA of East and Central Africa that has been strongly influenced by
ARABIC. The original Bantu-speaking peoples appear to have originated in the region of Cameroon. In the structure of their languages, bases and affixes play a pre-eminent role: for example, from the base
Tswana are formed
Batswana the Tswana people (formerly rendered in English as
Bechuana),
Motswana an individual Tswana,
Botswana land of the Tswana, and
Setswana the Tswana language. Bantu loanwords in English are relatively few. Among them are: the animal names
impala,
zebra;
boma a thorn-bush enclosure; (Zulu)
impi regiment,
indaba gathering, conference; (Swahili)
uhuru freedom. English words associated with the Bantu-speaking peoples can be etymologically deceptive: Swahili
bwana (master, boss) is from Arabic
abuna (our father);
assegai (spear, lance) has passed from Berber into Arabic and thence to Southern Africa;
kraal is from
PORTUGUESE through
AFRIKAANS, and is a doublet of
corral. Bantu languages have borrowed extensively from English, especially in South Africa: for example, Zulu
ikhalenda calendar,
ukheroti carrot,
ukholiflawa cauliflower; Xhosa
ibhentshi bench,
ikati cat,
ukubhaptiza to baptise. See
AFRICAN LANGUAGES,
BORROWING.
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Bantu, Inc. Further Optimizes Instant Messenger; Bantu Notifications, New Interface Enhance Enterprise Collaboration and Productivity.
PR Newswire; 12/7/2000; 700+ words
; ...WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Bantu, Inc., the leading provider of instant...upgraded version of its flagship product, Bantu Messenger, which now offers the capability...and additional customization options. Bantu Notifications greatly increase users...
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Bantu Launches Interoperable Instant Messaging Network For Web Sites and Businesses.
PR Newswire; 8/1/2000; 700+ words
; Bantu Messenger to Reach More Than 85 Million Web Users WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Bantu, Inc., a leading provider of Web- based...40 Web sites and corporations now utilize Bantu's private- labeled Bantu Messenger IM...
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Bantu, Inc. Improves Instant Messaging at Texas Instruments; Scalable Application Spans Platforms to Improve Communications Among Global Employees, Partners and Suppliers.
PR Newswire; 8/22/2000; 700+ words
; ...WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Bantu, Inc., a leader in Web-based instant...utilize its instant messaging service, Bantu Messenger, to improve instant messaging...of partners and suppliers. Web-based Bantu Messenger satisfied these requirements...
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Spectel and Bantu Integrate Secure Enterprise Instant Messaging with Voice & Data Conferencing Applications.
Business Wire; 1/12/2004; 700+ words
; ...integrated conferencing solutions, and Bantu, Inc., the premiere provider of enterprise...conferencing solutions through integration with Bantu's secure, scalable IM, presence awareness...colleagues through presence information using Bantu's secure EIM platform, and instantly...
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 "Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL)")
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Somali Bantus hope relocation in U.S. will bring happiness.
Newspaper article from: Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL); 6/1/2003; 700+ words
; ...least six months for the Bantus to even hope of finding work. Until then, most Bantu families will rely on...the fall asking that no Bantu be placed there. Councilor...OPTIONAL TRIM) Despite the Bantus' shortfall in money...agency that will resettle Bantu refugees. "The grace...
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Prospero Adds Bantu Instant Messenger to Community Forums.
PR Newswire; 8/8/2000; 700+ words
; ...CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Bantu, Inc., a leader in Web-based instant...distribution agreement, Prospero will integrate Bantu Messenger into its product suite, offering...instant communications space and chose Bantu because it enables Prospero to expand its...
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IntraACTIVE, Inc. Launches bantu.com; The First FREE, Multilingual Email and Group Information Manager on the Web.
PR Newswire; 5/25/1999; 700+ words
; ...software company, today announced the beta version of bantu.com (http://www.bantu.com). The first FREE multilingual email, Personal...and Group Information Manager (GIM) on the Web, bantu.com lets members instantly organize their personal...
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Somalian Bantu refugees realize dreams
Newspaper article from: International Herald Tribune; 7/5/2004; ; 700+ words
; ...Tribune 07-05-2004 For Abkow Edow, a Bantu refugee from Somalia who now lives here...translator. The pot of gold is opportunity, Bantu refugees say, which involves hard work...of a continuing resettlement of 13,000 Bantu from Somalia, descendants of people kidnapped...
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Somali Bantu Refugees Study American Life
News Wire article from: AP Online; 5/16/2003; ; 700+ words
; ...Organization of Migration, a group of Somali Bantu refugees spent Thursday learning how to...survive the phenomenon called winter. The 74 Bantu scheduled to leave Nairobi on Tuesday and...Pindie Stephen an IOM official. For the Bantu, the promise of a new life means an escape...
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Somali Bantu 'Lost Tribe' Members to Relocate from Africa to Columbia, S.C.
Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News; 5/4/2003; 700+ words
; ...recent history. The first wave of Somali Bantu likely will arrive sometime this summer...Resettlement Program. The resettlement of the Bantu is the agency's most ambitious -- and...residents learn the story of the Somali Bantu, they will be moved to help the new transplants...
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Bantu
Book article from: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition
Bantu , ethnic and linguistic group of Africa, numbering about 120 million. The Bantu inhabit most of the continent S of the Congo River...primarily linguistic, and there are almost a hundred Bantu languages, including Luganda, Zulu, and Swahili...
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Bantu languages
Book article from: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition
Bantu languages group of African languages forming...language family (see African languages ). Bantu contains hundreds of languages that are spoken...Malawi, Tanzania, and Kenya. The word Bantu means "the people" and is made up of the...
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BANTU
Book article from: Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language
BANTU. A term with a neutral, scholarly use throughout...backgrounds who speak these languages. The Bantu languages belong to the Niger–...Zulu in South Africa. The most widely used Bantu language is SWAHILI , a LINGUA FRANCA of...
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Bantu homelands
Book article from: A Dictionary of World History
Bantu homelands (informal name Bantustans ) The former “...regarded by many as the clearest manifestation of APARTHEID . Ten Bantu homelands were created by the Bantu Self-Government Act of 1959. The Black population was assigned...
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Bantu beer
Book article from: A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition
Bantu beer See beer .
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