jifunza
verb
to learn; to study.
It can be used to describe learning a trade.
Origins
Jifunza is the reflexive of funza, “to teach”: ji- plus funza literally means “to teach oneself.” Funza itself is inherited Bantu vocabulary, from Proto-Sabaki -fųnzya, built on -funda “to teach” with a causative ending.
Sources4
A. C. Madan, Swahili-English Dictionary (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1903), PDF page 103.
Discusses jifunza under funza, including learning a trade. Historical evidence; not a survey of current Kenyan speech.
Edward Steere, A Handbook of the Swahili Language as Spoken at Zanzibar (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1884), PDF page 216.
Lists jifunza under “learn”. Historical Zanzibar evidence.
University of Kansas Open Language Resource Center, University of Kansas Kiswahili Glossary (University of Kansas Open Language Resource Center), jifunza glossary rows.
Gives learning and studying as meanings of -jifunza.
- funza (Wiktionary)
Derives funza from Proto-Sabaki *-fųnzya (< -funda + causative -ya), notes jifunza (reflexive) as the dominant modern sense, and lists cognates in Chiduruma and Ndzwani Comorian.
Examples
Ninajifunza Kiswahili.
I am learning Swahili.
Anajifunza kuendesha gari.
He is learning to drive a car.
Walijifunza mengi shuleni.
They learned a lot at school.
Utajifunza haraka.
You will learn quickly.
Tunajifunza historia.
We are studying history.
Alijifunza kupika chakula kitamu.
She learned to cook delicious food.
Mwanafunzi anajifunza masomo yake.
The student is studying his lessons.
Jifunze kutokana na makosa yako.
Learn from your mistakes.
Watajifunza lugha mpya.
They will learn a new language.
