ubuntu

English

Etymology

Loanword from Zulu ubuntu (“humanity”) and Xhosa ubuntu (“humaneness, solidarity”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʊˈbʊntuː/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

ubuntu (uncountable)

1. (South Africa) A Nguni Bantu ideology focusing on people's allegiances and relations with each other.
   • 2006 October 26, “South Africa: LGBT Groups Respond To CONTRALESA’s Stance On Same Sex Marriage”, in OutRight Action International‎^[1], archived from the original on 2015-10-26:

     Through Ubuntu the worth of all individuals are recognized and respected. As such, homophobia is an unAfrican^[sic] because it denies people the opportunity to express their full humanity.

   (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)

Translations

ubuntu

• Chichewa: umunthu
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 烏班圖 / 乌班图 (wūbāntú)

• Nyoro: obuntu
• Polish: ubuntu (pl) n
• Portuguese: ubuntu (pt) m
• Russian: общинность (ru) f (obščinnostʹ), соборность (ru) f (sobornostʹ)
• Rwanda-Rundi: ubuntu
• Shona: unhu
• Swahili: utu (sw) class 14
• Tswana: botho
• Xhosa: ubuntu
• Zulu: ubuntu (zu) class 14

Portuguese

Noun

ubuntu m (uncountable)

1. (politics) ubuntu (ideology focusing on people’s allegiances and relations)

Xhosa

Etymology

From ubu- +‎ umntu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [úɓúːⁿtu]

Noun

úbúntu class 14

1. humaneness, solidarity

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Zulu

Etymology

From ubu- +‎ umuntu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /uɓúːntu/

Noun

ubúntu class 14

1. humanity, the human race
2. humanity, human nature
3. humaneness, solidarity
4. ubuntu

Inflection

Class 14
	Singular	Plural
Full form	ubuntu	—
Locative	ebuntwini	—
	Singular		Plural
Full form	ubuntu		—
Simple form	buntu		—
Locative	ebuntwini		—
Copulative	ngubuntu		—
Possessive forms
	Singular		Plural
	Modifier	Substantive	Modifier	Substantive
Class 1	wobuntu	owobuntu	—	—
Class 2	bobuntu	abobuntu	—	—
Class 3	wobuntu	owobuntu	—	—
Class 4	yobuntu	eyobuntu	—	—
Class 5	lobuntu	elobuntu	—	—
Class 6	obuntu	awobuntu	—	—
Class 7	sobuntu	esobuntu	—	—
Class 8	zobuntu	ezobuntu	—	—
Class 9	yobuntu	eyobuntu	—	—
Class 10	zobuntu	ezobuntu	—	—
Class 11	lobuntu	olobuntu	—	—
Class 14	bobuntu	obobuntu	—	—
Class 15	kobuntu	okobuntu	—	—
Class 17	kobuntu	okobuntu	—	—

References

• C. M. Doke, B. W. Vilakazi (1972) “-ntu”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “-ntu (3.2.9)”