Zimbanoun
Factsheet
What does the noun Zimba mean?
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun Zimba. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.
How common is the noun Zimba?
| 1790 | 0.0043 |
| 1800 | 0.0043 |
| 1810 | 0.0041 |
| 1820 | 0.004 |
| 1830 | 0.0038 |
| 1840 | 0.0038 |
| 1850 | 0.0025 |
| 1860 | 0.0039 |
| 1870 | 0.0064 |
| 1880 | 0.0072 |
| 1890 | 0.0098 |
| 1900 | 0.012 |
| 1910 | 0.015 |
| 1920 | 0.019 |
| 1930 | 0.022 |
| 1940 | 0.024 |
| 1950 | 0.026 |
| 1960 | 0.028 |
| 1970 | 0.029 |
| 1980 | 0.029 |
| 1990 | 0.03 |
| 2000 | 0.029 |
| 2010 | 0.027 |
How is the noun Zimba pronounced?
British English
U.S. English
East African English
Where does the noun Zimba come from?
Earliest known use
early 1600s
The earliest known use of the noun Zimba is in the early 1600s.
OED's earliest evidence for Zimba is from 1625.
Zimba is a borrowing from Portuguese.
Etymons: Portuguese Zimba.
Nearby entries
- zill, n.1754–
- zilla, n.1772–
- -zilla, comb. form
- zilladar, n.1763–
- Zil lane, n.1985–
- zilla parishad, n.1957–
- zillion, n. & adj.1920–
- zillionaire, n.1926–
- zillionth, n. & adj.1940–
- zimb, n.1790–
- Zimba, n.1625–
- Zimbabwe, n.1891–
- Zimbabwean, adj. & n.1961–
- zimbel, n.1888–
- zimme, n.1848–63
- Zimmer, n.1951–
- zina, n.1817–
- zinc, n.1651–
- zinc, v.1843–
- zinc-air, adj.1970–
- Zincala, n.1844–91
Etymology
Summary
Notes
Meaning & use
- 1625–A member of an East African people of the Zambezi valley who came into conflict with the Portuguese in the late 16th cent.
- 1625
Before Tete, on the otherside of the Riuer within Land to the East and North-east, are two kinds of Man-eating Cafres, the Mumbos and Zimbas or Muzimbas [Pg. Zimbas, ou Muzimbas], who eate those they take in warre, and their slaues also when they are past labour, and sell it as Beefe or Mutton.
translation of J. dos Santos in S. Purchas, Pilgrimes vol. II. ix. xii. §iv. 1551 - 1733
Most of the Cafres on the Coast of Barbary are Anthropophagites also, and particularly those call'd Zimbas.
in translation of Ancient Accounts India & China Remarks 6 - 1817
They [sc. the Portuguese] had a series of terrible wars to sustain, from an inroad of the Mumbos or Zimbas, a tribe described as resembling the Giagas.
J. Leyden & H. Murray, Hist. Account Discov. & Trav. Africa vol. II. ii. vi. 364 - 1913
The Zimba, a powerful tribe of barbarians who lived N.E. of Tete on the Zambezi, are now first heard of in these parts. In 1588 they invaded Kilwa, and the next year passed up the coast and invaded Mombasa.
C. A. Stigand, Land of Zinj i. 17 - 2012
The military campaigns in southeast Africa launched in the late sixteenth century by the people known as the Zimba.
A. J. Andrea & J. H. Overfield, Human Rec. vol. II. (ed. 7) i. iii. 88
the world people ethnicity, race, or heritage peoples of Africa peoples of Southern Africa [nouns] other peoples of Southern Africa- Zimba1625–A member of an East African people of the Zambezi valley who came into conflict with the Portuguese in the late 16th cent.
- Tambouki1786–1902The Tembu people. Cf. Tembu, n. Obsolete.
- Hottentot1795–The Khoekhoe and San peoples collectively; = Khoisan, n. A.1. Cf. bushman, n. Now offensive.
- San1801–A member of any of various Indigenous peoples of southern Africa, esp. of the Kalahari Desert, who are traditionally nomadic hunter-gatherers.
- Morolong1815–= Rolong, n. A.1.
- Oorlam1815–A name formerly given to: a member of any Indigenous people of Southern Africa familiar, as a result of long contact, with the customs, standards…
- Barolong1823–= Rolong, n. A.1. Cf. Morolong, n.
- Tembu1827–A member of a Xhosa-speaking people of the south-eastern part of South Africa; also, this people collectively.
- Fingo1829–A Xhosa-speaking people of South Africa, now resident in the Eastern Cape province, representing a coalescence of various groups of fugitives…
- Ngwaketsea1832–A member of a southern African people inhabiting Botswana. Also as adj.
- Masarwa1835–South African. Now offensive and chiefly derogatory. Esp. among speakers of Tswana: a member of a Bushman people inhabiting the northern Kalahari Desert.
- Cape Malay1845–A member of a largely Afrikaans-speaking, Muslim community or ethnic group resident mainly in the Western Cape of South Africa. Cf. Malay, n. A.1b.
- Ovaherero1851–With plural agreement. The Herero-speaking people living in Namibia, Botswana, and Angola, or those of a subgroup in Central Namibia and Botswana…
- Lunda1857–A member of any of several peoples mainly inhabiting northern Zambia and adjoining areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola.
- earth people1861With capital initial. Members of an Indigenous southern African people, probably identical to the Bushmen or San. Cf. earthman, n. 3. Obsolete. rare.
- Herero1862–A member of a black African people of Namibia (formerly called South-West Africa); the Bantu language spoken by these people, called Otshi-Herero…
- Swazi1878–A member of this people.
- Magwamba1884–A group of Tsonga-speaking people of Limpopo province (formerly northern Transvaal) of South Africa.
- Cape people1900–South African natives of mixed descent.
- Cape Coloured1914–A Cape Coloured person.
- Khoisan1929–The Khoekhoe and San people collectively; a member of the Khoekhoe or San people. Cf. Hottentot, n. A.1b.
- Rolong1937–A member of a southern African people of the Tswana group, living mainly in the North West Province of South Africa and in Botswana; a speaker of…
Pronunciation
British English
U.S. English
East African English
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee, thaw
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- x(Swahili borrowings only)
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used as in British and US English.
Vowels
- ikit, fleece, happy
- edress, face, nurse
- atrap, strut, bath, palm, nurse, letter
- olot, cloth, thought, north, force, goat
- ufoot, goose
- aumouth
- aipride
- oivoice
- ianear
- easquare
- uacure
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.
Consonants
b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values
- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige
Vowels
- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot
Forms
Inflections
Frequency
Zimba typically occurs about 0.03 times per million words in modern written English.
Zimba is in frequency band 3, which contains words occurring between 0.01 and 0.1 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands
Frequency of Zimba, n., 1790–2010
* Occurrences per million words in written English
Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.
The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.
For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.
Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.
| Decade | Frequency per million words |
|---|---|
| 1790 | 0.0043 |
| 1800 | 0.0043 |
| 1810 | 0.0041 |
| 1820 | 0.004 |
| 1830 | 0.0038 |
| 1840 | 0.0038 |
| 1850 | 0.0025 |
| 1860 | 0.0039 |
| 1870 | 0.0064 |
| 1880 | 0.0072 |
| 1890 | 0.0098 |
| 1900 | 0.012 |
| 1910 | 0.015 |
| 1920 | 0.019 |
| 1930 | 0.022 |
| 1940 | 0.024 |
| 1950 | 0.026 |
| 1960 | 0.028 |
| 1970 | 0.029 |
| 1980 | 0.029 |
| 1990 | 0.03 |
| 2000 | 0.029 |
| 2010 | 0.027 |