# Bantu

/ˈbæntu/ (US) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bantu
Updated: 2026-05-11

## Definition

a large group of related languages and the people who speak them in central and southern Africa. Swahili and Zulu are two famous examples from this group.

For teachers: a major branch of the Niger-Congo language family, comprising several hundred languages spoken across central, eastern, and southern Africa. Refers collectively to the speakers of these languages, though primarily used in linguistic and anthropological contexts.

## Examples

- Many people in southern Africa speak Bantu languages.
- The historical migration of Bantu speakers significantly shaped the cultural and linguistic landscape of the African continent.
- Linguists study the shared grammatical structures of Bantu languages to trace the ancient migration patterns of populations moving from West Africa toward the south and east.

## Usage notes

- Often used as a collective noun or as a modifier before 'languages' or 'peoples'.

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