see|bantu
English
Etymology
The plural of a Nguni word - "ba" (plural prefix) and "ntu" (person). Meaning "people", often used to describe a language family.
Proper noun
wikipedia
en-proper noun
- Bantu is a language family that belongs to the Niger-Congo group. Bantu languages are spoken in much of Sub-Saharan Africa.
- General term for African ethnic groups speaking a Bantu language.
- (South African: unacceptable/derogatory) A black South African.
Usage notes
Black South Africans were at times officially called "Bantus" by the apartheid regime. New legislation and documents from the South African government have thus replaced "Bantu" with "Black" due to its derogative past. Outside Southern Africa the term is still widely used as a term for the Bantu-speaking peoples.
See also
w:Bantu languages|Bantu languages
w:Bantu|Bantu ethnic groups
ang:Bantu
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