Jambo is a

Swahili Swahili may refer to: * Swahili language, a Bantu language officially used in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda and widely spoken in the African Great Lakes. * Swahili people, an ethnic group in East Africa. * Swahili culture, the culture of the Swahili p ...

greeting Greeting is an act of communication in which human beings intentionally make their presence known to each other, to show attention to, and to suggest a type of relationship (usually cordial) or social status (formal or informal) between individ ...

salutation A salutation is a greeting used in a Letter (message), letter or other communication. Salutations can be formal or informal. The most common form of salutation in an English letter includes the recipient's given name or title. For each style of ...

. It is similar in meaning to the English word ''

Hello Hello is a salutation or greeting in the English language. It is first attested in writing from 1826. Early uses ''Hello'', with that spelling, was used in publications in the U.S. as early as the 18 October 1826 edition of the '' Norwich Cou ...

''.

Linguistically

Specifically, Jambo is a

Swahili language Swahili, also known as as it is referred to endonym and exonym, in the Swahili language, is a Bantu languages, Bantu language originally spoken by the Swahili people, who are found primarily in Tanzania, Kenya, and Mozambique (along the East Af ...

word that belongs to noun classes 5-6 for "collectives". Jambo primarily means 'affair', in the sense of commercial, professional, public or personal business.

Etymologically Etymology ( ) is the study of the origin and evolution of words—including their constituent units of sound and meaning—across time. In the 21st century a subfield within linguistics, etymology has become a more rigorously scientific study. ...

it is from amba (-amba) meaning ''to say''. It is a

cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical effects on both the s ...

with Zulu. Secondary meanings include dealing with a thing, issue or matter.

First use

The spoken word "Jambo" was once used as a greeting among traders of the

Swahili coast The Swahili coast () is a coastal area of East Africa, bordered by the Indian Ocean and inhabited by the Swahili people. It includes Sofala (located in Mozambique); Mombasa, Gede, Kenya, Gede, Pate Island, Lamu, and Malindi (in Kenya); and Dar es ...

southeast Africa Southeast Africa, or Southeastern Africa, is an African region that is intermediate between East Africa and Southern Africa. It comprises the countries Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanza ...

. See also: Prins, A.H.J. 1970. A Swahili Nautical Dictionary. Preliminary Studies in Swahili Lexicon – 1. Dar es Salaam. While less formal, it is in widespread use in East Africa and beyond. While similar in use to the English word "hello," it really meant to come and settle one's affairs in the business sense. It was used by traders from

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

and other lands before the Portuguese

Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama ( , ; – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and nobleman who was the Portuguese discovery of the sea route to India, first European to reach India by sea. Da Gama's first voyage (1497–1499) was the first to link ...

visited the area in 1498. It is in current use.12 Swahili words to know before traveling in East Africa by Kelly Lalonde
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Colonial use

During the western

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

an "

Scramble for Africa The Scramble for Africa was the invasion, conquest, and colonialism, colonisation of most of Africa by seven Western European powers driven by the Second Industrial Revolution during the late 19th century and early 20th century in the era of ...

" which brought a period of

Imperialism Imperialism is the maintaining and extending of Power (international relations), power over foreign nations, particularly through expansionism, employing both hard power (military and economic power) and soft power (diplomatic power and cultura ...

and East African European colonialism, the Swahili word " Bwana" was used to refer to the western Europeans. R. Mugo Gatheru (2005) ''Kenya: From Colonization to Independence, 1888–1970'', McFarland, Briefly, the word today refers to "Mister" or big boss or an important person, and is occasionally used in a derogatory manner. But the historical reality of it was simply "Master." The British dictionary or older English usage refers the word "Master" as a male person who is in charge of others or of a task; Large British sailing ships, for example, typically had both a captain and a sailing master, the latter in charge of the detailed handling of the ship. In many ways in

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

the combined phrase "Jambo Bwana!" (Hello, Master!) became viewed as "Hello, Slave Driver" or "Hello, Slave Master" by those seeking independence especially in Colonial East Africa.Maloba, Wunyabari O. (1993) ''Mau Mau and Kenya: An Analysis of Peasant Revolt'', Indiana University Press, 0852557450.

Postcolonial use

After independence and over a half century of Independence, many still use the word "Jambo!" And some enterprising East Africans use the old imperialist welcoming phrase "Jambo Bwana!" as a welcome greeting seeking tourist dollars. " Jambo Bwana!" (translated as "Hello Mister!"), is also notably one of the best internationally known Kenyan hotel pop songs. That welcoming song, with some local variations including the informal name of the "Jambo! Jambo!", is sometimes used to greet visitors to

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

. Today, more traditional greeting or welcoming terms are encouraged for tourists to better understand and to relate to the local people. For example: In

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

and for the Swahili language, there are many tourist guides and educational pages which provide common phrases. Below are four basic ways in Swahili to say "Hello!" and a basic polite reply after the dash. 1. Hujambo - more correct than Jambo! (how are you?) – Sijambo (seeJAmbo) (I am fine / no worries)
2. Habari? (any news?) – nzuri (nZOOree) (fine)
3. U hali gani? (oo HAlee GAnee) (how are you) – njema (fine)
4. Shikamoo (a young person to an elder) – marahaba

Surname use

"Jambo" is also a

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

in southern Africa. An example is Zhaimu Jambo, a retired Zimbabwean football player.

Other uses

The word ''jamboree'' may be derived from the word jambo. A jamboree is a large gathering of Scouts. The word has also come to mean "a lavish or boisterous celebration or party".Jamboree. Dictionary.com. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/jamboree (accessed: November 02, 2015).

References

{{Reflist, 30em Greeting words and phrases Swahili words and phrases