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Where does the word "boma" come from? It comes from Swahili boma, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).
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Where does the word "boma" come from? It comes from Swahili boma, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).
Boma’s story begins in Swahili: boma meant “an enclosure, a fort.” An enclosure for livestock or a fortified settlement. It reached English by 1900s as boma. Used by colonial administrators for district headquarters as well as stockades. Today, boma means a fenced enclosure, especially for livestock, or a fortified settlement in East Africa.
- Stage 1 · Swahili · 1800s boma "an enclosure, a fort", an enclosure for livestock or a fortified settlement.
- Stage 2 · English · 1900s boma "a fenced enclosure, especially for livestock", used by colonial administrators for district headquarters as well as stockades.