siku
noun
day.
Use it with numbers to count days: siku kumi, ten days. The plural is also siku.
Forms
- siku
- days
Origins
The word’s earlier history is still under review.
Sources3
Charles Sacleux, Grammaire des dialectes Swahilis (Paris: Procure des PP. du Saint-Esprit, 1909), PDF page 351.
Uses kila siku in a translated narrative to mean every day. 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 242.
Illustrates siku with kumi when counting ten days. Historical Zanzibar evidence.
University of Kansas Open Language Resource Center, University of Kansas Kiswahili Glossary (University of Kansas Open Language Resource Center), siku glossary rows.
Identifies siku as day.
Examples
Ninafanya kazi kila siku.
I work every day.
Siku hizi ninafurahi sana.
These days I am very happy.
Tutakutana siku ya Jumamosi.
We will meet on Saturday.
Alisafiri siku tatu zilizopita.
He traveled three days ago.
Siku njema kwako!
Have a good day!
Ni siku gani leo?
What day is today?
Siku ya kuzaliwa kwake ni kesho.
His birthday is tomorrow.
Nitakaa hapa siku tano.
I’ll stay here for five days.
Siku ya kwanza ya mwaka mpya.
The first day of the new year.
