Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Used as a form of respectful address in parts of Africa.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun slang Big
boss ,important person . Not always used as a favorable term.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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"Formerly [in the Congo Free State] an ordinary white man was merely called 'bwana' or 'Mzunga'; now the merest insect of a pale face earns the title of 'bwana Mkubwa' [big master]."
The Negro 1915
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Sponsor: Try SquareSpace free for 14 days, use the code "bwana" to save 10\% on the life of the account
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Today at 16: 59.20 (1 hour ago) umno must have got the inspiration for "ketuanan" from the Swahili term 'bwana' meaning
Planet Malaysia 2009
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\par "Geez, this is worse than the jungle drums in those old 'bwana' vids," Becker complained.
Massage 2010
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"Call me bwana," he laughed, boat shoes slapping the concrete path.
White People Problems (part 1) Thomas Pluck 2011
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I was assured by a man ducking next to me, They do not want your life, bwana.
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Me - ‘err ok – you da bwana …’ all true … my ancestors were right, ‘white man speaks with forked tongue …’ on March 18, 2010 at 9: 19 pm Bob
“Response Times” Are Back SHOCK! « POLICE INSPECTOR BLOG Inspector Gadget 2010
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Please proceed to the main salon where bwana is waiting to greet you.
Blood Lite II: Overbite Kevin J. Anderson 2010
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All these words were as foreign to me as, say, gesundheit, roti canai, bwana, merde or halal.
Archive 2008-08-01 Glenda Larke 2008
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All these words were as foreign to me as, say, gesundheit, roti canai, bwana, merde or halal.
Alien words in our prose Glenda Larke 2008
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