Zungu

« Back to Glossary Index

A white person including American, Arabian, Asian, European and Mixed (AAAEM) race people. In the African sense, all people not black are zungu. Names in other Bantu languages are mlungu, malungu, mulungu, mhlungu, umhlungu, imuzungu, omusongo, mũthũngũ, buzungu, mulungu, msungu and murungu. Plural is wazungu, varungu, vozongo, abelungu or bazungu. The name is derived  from zunguka, dzungaira, dzungu or zungu which means being unsettled, having no permanent home (musha) or wandering. It is acceptable and not offensive to call all non-black or white people by these names. In some western countries, people of mixed races (black and white) are referred to as black only but this is a colonial view that neglects, denies, ignores or refuses them their other heritage.

« Back to Glossary Index