kunywa
verb
to drink.
It is used for consuming liquids.
Origins
Kunywa is inherited straight from Proto-Bantu *kʊ̀ɲóa.
Sources4
Charles Sacleux, Grammaire des dialectes Swahilis (Paris: Procure des PP. du Saint-Esprit, 1909), PDF page 244.
Includes kunywa among short-stem imperative forms. Historical evidence; not a survey of current Kenyan speech.
A. C. Madan, Swahili-English Dictionary (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1903), PDF page 312.
Discusses -nywa for drinking and consuming liquids. 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 43.
Uses kunywa, “to drink”, to illustrate syllable structure. Historical Zanzibar evidence.
- kunywa (Wiktionary)
States kunywa is inherited from Proto-Bantu *kʊ̀ɲóa.
Examples
Ungependa kunywa chai?
Would you like to drink tea?
Ninakunywa maji.
I’m drinking water.
Tulikunywa kahawa pamoja.
We had coffee together.
Unakunywa nini?
What are you drinking?
Nataka kunywa maji kwanza.
I want to drink water first.
Watoto wanakunywa maziwa.
The children are drinking milk.
Sinywi kahawa usiku.
I don’t drink coffee at night.
Tafadhali kunywa polepole.
Please drink slowly.
Tutakunywa chai baadaye.
We’ll have tea later.
