23 Comments
In colloquial Swahili the "ni" is sometimes dropped. This is a common greeting, so the "ni" is dropped.
In my experience "uko mzima?" is more common. To me, the way it is now sounds like a statement unless you inflected the end or said "je" at the beginning. Probably regional.
so, MZIMA alone means " healthy" and MTU MZIMA means " adult ". Am I right in thinking that to be an adult you have to be healthy because if you are sick you will never make it to adulthood ? MTU MZIMA means " a healthy person ", i.e. an adult .
246
Mzima means full, well or complete. So the literal meaning of mtu mzima would be complete person.
With other words, "mature". Maturity implies good health, completeness, fruition, having grown up, developed. An adult is a mature human being (theoretically, but not always factually, sadly).
I would think it's like this- if mzima means whole, complete and healthy, it's kind of like the extremely casual English "you good?", except it's a common greeting and not as casual. "Are you well?" is also a comparative greeting, though it's not used much and implies sickness.
"Uko mzima"is more appropriate. It may also depend on contest and tone. "We ni/ mzima?" Can mean are you crazy/alright in the head?
- 246
Yes you can ask someone "we mzima ?" if you're asking if they are nuts.
- 246
Not much difference, just another way of asking a person how they are.
So I take it pronouns get adjectives in the m-wa class? Or is it another class? There are more which get m- adjectives.
The most meaningful translation is - Are you alright ? or...Are you fine/well ?
