How To Say "Artificial Intelligence" in Swahili
With help from the Imara Afrika podcast by Amos Maranga, BAKITA, and Deutsche Welle
Mmerikani’s Substack consists of sourced, edifying quotes in a dual-language format (Swahili & English). I am a Quaker, runner, and was formally trained in Swahili.
[Scroll down for the English]
KISWAHILI
Je, njia gani ni sahihi kusema artificial intelligence (AI) katika Kiswahili? Nina vitu viwili kwenu.
Kwanza, tunaweza kutazama (au kusikiliza) podikasti ya takribani dakika 3 chini kutoka kwa Amos Maranga, mwumbaji wa Afrika Imara (Swahili Podcast). Anafungua na maneno machache yaliyotumiwa sasa, halafu anaelezea neno jipya la akili unde lililofika kwenye mandhari. Podikasti ya Bwana Maranga imetangazwa katika mwezi Januari mwaka 2025.
(Inategemea kichezaji chako cha podikasti na mipangilio yake kama ikionyesha video au ikicheza sauti tu. Ninapendekeza video, kama ukiwezavyo:)
Katika podikasti ya Bwana Maranga ya juu, tunasikiliza maneno kadhaa kwa artificial intelligence:
akili mnemba*,
akili bandia,
akili tarakilishi, na
akili unde.
Pili—na shukuru kwa Bwana Maranga—nimegundua pia video yenye manufaa kutoka kwa Deutsche Welle (DW ni kampuni ya utangazaji wa kimataifa wa vyombo vya habari iliyoko Ujerumani). Katika video hiyo ya DW, iliyodumu dakika 2 na iliyopitia kiungo chini, tunasikilizia Bwana Oni Sigala, Muhariri Mwandamizi Baraza la Kiswahili Tanzania (BAKITA iliyokuwa na tovuti yake kwa Kiswahili na kwa Kiingereza) anayetufundisha neno lipi ni sahihi bora. (Dokezo: Anakunja uso kwa “akili bandia.”). Kiungo hicho ni hapa:
Kulingana na Bwana Sigala na BAKITA, neno bora ni akili mnemba*. Tuchukue uangalifu kwamba mahojiano hayo pamoja na Bwana Sigala yalitangazwa mwaka 2024.
KWA KUMALIZA, tunakumbuka—kama Bwana Maranga alivyosema—lugha ni hai na linadoria sikuzote.
Kwa mimi ndi, nitaendelea kutumia akili mnemba* kwa sababu imechangulishwa na BAKITA. Kama akili unde ikishinda baadaye, halafu nitadoria msamiati yangu.
* Hadhari na samahani: Bado akili mnemba haijaingiziimo Google Translate kwa usahihi. Tokeo hilo linaonyesha maneno machafu. Nimemwambia Google maana haya mwafaka jana.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
What is the correct way to say “artificial intelligence” (AI) in Swahili? I have two items for you.
First, we can watch (or listen to) the approximately 3-minute podcast below from Amos Maranga, creator of Afrika Imara (Swahili Podcast). He opens with a few words that are currently in use and then explains a new term, akili unde, that has arrived on the scene. Mr. Maranga’s podcast was broadcast in January 2025.
(The way the podcast plays will depend on your podcast player and its settings as to whether it plays video or only audio. I recommend the video, if possible:)
In Mr. Maranga’s podcast above, we hear several words for artificial intelligence:
akili mnemba,*
akili bandia, and
akili tarakilishi, and
akili unde.
Second—and with a thank you to Mr. Maranga—I also found a helpful video from Deutsche Welle (DW is an international media broadcasting company from Germany). In the 2-minute DW video, which you can find at the link below, we hear Mr. Oni Sigala, Senior Editor of the Swahili Council of Tanzania (BAKITA with its website in Swahili and English) teach us which word is best. (Hint: He frowns at “akili bandia.”) That link is here:
According to Mr. Sigala and BAKITA, the best word for artificial intelligence is akili mnemba*. Let us take note that the interview with Mr. Sigala was in 2024.
IN CLOSING, let us remember—as Mr. Maranga said—language is alive and constantly evolving.
As for me, I will continue to use akili mnemba because that BAKITA’s choice. If akili unde later supersedes that decision, then I will update my word choice.
*Caution and apologies: Akili mnemba has not yet been ingested into Google Translate correctly. The result yielded, for me, obscene language. I informed Google of the proper translation yesterday.
Vyanzo (sources):
Maranga, Amos. “AI kwa Kiswahili.” Directed by Amos Maranga. Imara Afrika (Swahili Podcast). January 10, 2025. Podcast with video, 3:12. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2y7GPm1Vr6WSlLO97oYTij?si=214d9570208a4ae9
Deutsche Welle (DW). “Artificial intelligence kwa kiswahili ni akili ni mnemba.” Directed by Sudi Mnette. Interview by unknown. Kurunzi, DW (in Swahili). Date: 10.7.2024. Audio, 2:06. https://www.dw.com/sw/wataalamu-wa-kiswahili-wanasema-neno-artificial-intelligence-kwa-kiswahili-ni-akili-mnemba/video-66183439.
This one is Brilliant, Mmerikani!
Languages are so interesting!