msilikali

Chichewa

Alternative forms

Etymology

From a reanalysis of Swahili askari as a plural form, probably via Yao (with possible interference from Swahili serikali (“government”)). The Swahili word derives from Arabic عَسْكَرِيّ (ʕaskariyy).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /m.si.ɽiˈká.ɽi/

Noun

msilikáli class 1 (plural asilikáli class 2)

  1. soldier

Usage notes

This word is normally spelt with -ili-, despite -iri- being the standard orthography.

References

Steven Paas (2016) Oxford Chichewa-English/English - Chichewa Dictionary‎[1], Oxford University Press, page 351

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