African Elements

a 7 Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "we".

aba Southern African, Sotho
Sotho-Tswana word meaning "allocate, share".

àdá Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "eldest daughter".

adé Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "crown".

Àfọ̀ Western African, Igbo
Igbo word referring to a day of the week.

áká Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "hand".

àkụ̀ Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "wealth".

àlà Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "white cloth".

àmádí Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "freeborn man".

amandla Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "strength, power".

àmàrà Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "grace, kindness".

anda Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "to increase".

ànị̀ Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "earth, land" (àlà in Central dialect).

ànyị́ Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "we" (first-person plural pronoun).

ará Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "family, relative".

ayé Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "life, world".

ayọ̀ Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "joy".

àzụ́ Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "back, posterior".

ba 1 Western African, Igbo
Igbo suffix meaning "continue".

ba 2 Western African, Hausa
Hausa prefix meaning "belonging to".

bá Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "meet, find".

baba 2 Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "father".

bẹ̀ Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "beg, pray".

berhan ብርሃን Eastern African, Amharic
Amharic word meaning "light".

bí Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "to give birth, to beget".

bọ̀ Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "return".

bonga Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "to thank".

bụ Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "is (equals)".

bùkún Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "add, increase".

bùn Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "give".

busisa Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "to bless".

chi 6 Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "god, spiritual being".

ɗa Western African, Hausa
Hausa word meaning "son".

dalitso Southern African, Chewa
Chewa word meaning "blessing".

dé 2 Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "arrive, come".

dè Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "without, in the absence of".

di Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "become, change into".

dì 3 Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "tie, bind, bundle".

dị Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "is (has the quality)".

dịlị Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "belongs to" (dịrị in Central dialect).

dú 2 Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "lead, guide".

dumisa Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "to praise".

dwa Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "only".

èbélè Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "mercy, kindness" (èbérè in Central dialect).

èbùbè Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "marvel, wonder".

égwù Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "fear, fearful, terrible, dreadful".

Èké Western African, Igbo
Igbo word referring to a day of the week.

èkène Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "thanks, gratitude" (èkèle in Central dialect).

ẹkún Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "weeping, tears".

ẹni Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "person".

ényì Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "friend".

eyí Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "this".

ézè Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "king".

fi Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba verb prefix meaning "use, do".

fún Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "give, scatter, squeeze".

futhi Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "again, furthermore".

gbé Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "carry, lift".

gọ́zị́ Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "bless".

gùn Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "ascend, climb".

hle Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "beautiful, good".

hlenga Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "to rescue, to save".

ìfà Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "good luck".

ífé Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "thing, anything" (íhé in Central dialect).

ìfẹ́ Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "love".

ị́fụnányá Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "love", literally "to see in one's eye".

igugu Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "treasure, pride".

íjè Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "journey".

íké Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "strength, power".

ìkẹ́ Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "fondness, care".

ilé Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "home".

imbali Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "flower".

imini Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "day".

inkosi Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "king, chief, lord".

intombi Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "girl".

írú Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "front, face" (íhú in Central dialect).

ísí Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "head, foremost".

isifiso Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "wish".

isipho Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "gift, present".

isizwe Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "nation".

ìtàn Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "history, story".

ithemba Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "trust, hope".

ìtọwo Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "taste".

iwájú Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "front, forward, ahead".

ìyá Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "mother".

ja 5 Eastern African, Swahili
Swahili word meaning "come, arrive".

jenga Eastern African, Swahili
Swahili word meaning "build, construct".

jí 2 Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "awake".

jì 3 Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "forgive".

jì 4 Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "hold, take".

ka 12 Western African, Igbo
Igbo comparative suffix meaning "exceed, surpass, greater".

kán Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "drop".

karabo Southern African, Sotho
Sotho-Tswana word meaning "answer".

katleho Southern African, Sotho
Sotho-Tswana word meaning "prosperity, success".

kè 2 Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "create".

kẹ́ Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "cherish, care".

kẹ́hìn Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "final, last".

kó Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "gather".

kondwa Southern African, Chewa
Nyasa word meaning "be happy".

kún Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "to fill, to be full, replenish".

kwú Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "speak".

lé Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "exceed, increase".

leboha Southern African, Sotho
Sotho-Tswana word meaning "thank".

linda 1 Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "to wait, to guard".

lunga Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "to be correct".

m Western African, Igbo
Igbo suffix meaning "my, me" (first-person pronoun).

má 2 Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "know".

mé Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "do, act".

mela Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "to stand for, to represent".

mezi Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "repair, correct".

mi 8 Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "me, my".

mma Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "goodness, beauty".

mo Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "I" (first-person pronoun).

mpho Southern African, Sotho
Sotho-Tswana word meaning "gift".

mwana Eastern African, Swahili
Swahili word meaning "child".

ńdụ̀ Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "life".

ní Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "obtain, get, have, possess" (lí before vowel).

ǹkè Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "that, this".

Ǹkwọ́ Western African, Igbo
Igbo word referring to a day of the week.

ńlá Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "great, large".

ńnà Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "father".

ńné Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "mother".

ńnwá Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "child".

no 5 Southern African, Nguni
Nguni prefix meaning "female".

nọ̀ Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "is (at the place)".

nqoba Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "to conquer".

ǹsó Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "near".

nwé Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "possess, own, have".

nyè Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "give".

ọba Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "king".

óbì Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "heart, mind".

ọdún Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "festival".

ógè Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "time, time span".

ọ̀gọ̀ Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "favour, kindness".

ọ̀kan Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "one".

óké Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "male".

òkè 1 Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "portion, share".

òkè 2 Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "hill, mountain".

òkóló Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "boy, young man" (òkóró in Central dialect).

òkun Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "sea, ocean".

ọlá Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "honour, respect".

ọlà Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "wealth".

Ólìè Western African, Igbo
Igbo word referring to a day of the week (Órìè in Central dialect).

ọ́lọ́ Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "work" (ọ́rọ́ in Central dialect).

olú Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "chief, ruler", also short for olúwa.

olúwa Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "lord, God".

ọ́má Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "beautiful, good".

ọmọ Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "child".

onga Southern African, Chewa
Nyasa word meaning "thank".

ọní Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba prefix meaning "owner" (ọlí before vowel), from the nominative prefix ọ and ní.

ònyé Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "who?".

ònyìnyé Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "gift".

ọpẹ́ Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "gratitude, thanks".

ọ̀rà Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "community, people" (ọ̀hà in Central dialect).

òrìṣà Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "deity, spirit".

ọ̀run Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "heaven, sky".

ọ̀sẹ̀ Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "week".

oyè Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "honour, chieftaincy".

oyin Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "honey".

penda Eastern African, Swahili
Swahili word meaning "love".

pirira Southern African, Chewa
Chewa word meaning "persevere, endure".

rè Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "go".

sá Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "dry".

sà 2 Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "answer, reply".

ṣe Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "do, make".

ṣẹ́gun Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "conquer".

ṣeun Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "thank".

simi Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "rest".

sò Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "follow, accompany".

soomaali Eastern African, Somali
Somali word for the Somali people.

tau Southern African, Sotho
Sotho-Tswana word meaning "lion".

thaba Southern African, Nguni, Sotho, Bantu
Nguni and Sotho-Tswana word meaning "be happy, be delighted".

thanda Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "to love".

thato Southern African, Sotho
Sotho-Tswana word meaning "will, desire".

thina Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "us".

thula Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "to be quiet, to be peaceful".

ti Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "belonging to".

títí Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "forever, long time".

to 4 Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "sufficient".

tò Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "praise, glorify".

tshepo Southern African, Sotho
Sotho-Tswana word meaning "hope".

Tswana Southern African, Tswana
Tswana word referring to the Tswana people. It might be related to tswa "to go out" or tshwana "to resemble".

tumelo Southern African, Sotho
Sotho-Tswana word meaning "faith".

tún Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "again".

ụ̀ba Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "plenty, wealth".

úchè Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "wisdom, sense, mind".

ùgó Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "eagle, honour".

ùju Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "fullness, plenty".

úkwú Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "great".

usiku Eastern African, Swahili
Swahili word meaning "night".

ụ́zọ̀ Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "way, path".

wá 1 Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "come".

wá 2 Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "seek, search".

wark ወርቅ Eastern African, Amharic
Amharic word meaning "gold".

xola Southern African, Nguni
Nguni word meaning "to be peaceful".

ya 9 Western African, Igbo
Igbo suffix meaning "him, her, his, hers" (third-person pronoun).

yamika Southern African, Chewa
Chewa word meaning "be grateful".

yẹ Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "suitable, worthy".

yẹ́ Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "praise, favour".

yíká Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "surround".

yìn 2 Western African, Yoruba
Yoruba word meaning "praise".

zọ Western African, Igbo
Igbo word meaning "save, protect".