Etymology

utamaroho

U1T1A1M3A1R1O1H4O1

Today it means: A culture's vital energy, which gives it its emotional tone and motivates collective behavior. Full definition →

Swahili roho ← Arabic رُوح (rūḥ) ← Proto-Bantu *bʊ̀-
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The story

  1. Proto-Bantu*dʊ̀-
  2. Proto-Bantu*bʊ̀-
  3. Swahiliu-
  4. Arabicتَمَدَّنَ (tamaddana)
  5. Arabicتَمَدُّن (tamaddun)
  6. Swahiliutamaduni
  7. Arabicرُوح (rūḥ)
  8. Swahiliroho
  9. English todayutamaroho

From a blend of Swahili utamaduni (“culture”) and roho (“spirit”); introduced in this sense by Marimba Ani in 1994.

Words from the same roots

Swahiliutamaduni all →

utamawazo

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.