Jina

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term referring to a name, label, or designation used to identify a person, place, or thing
2. An appellation or title assigned to recognize or specify an individual or entity
3. A word or phrase serving as an identifier to distinguish one person or object from another

Etymology: "Jina" is a Swahili noun meaning "name," and it belongs to a noun-class pair: its plural is "majina," formed with the "ma-" prefix that Swahili uses for many plural nouns. Speakers of Swahili use the same root in ordinary phrases about naming, so the word carries its basic sense of a label that identifies someone or something. The word traces back to a very old root. Linguists reconstruct a Proto-Bantu form, likely "*-dina," meaning "name," which spread across the Bantu languages of central, eastern, and southern Africa. Its relatives include words in languages such as Zulu and Shona, although the sounds have shifted in each one. This makes "jina" a useful example of how a single ancient root can survive in many modern languages with changed pronunciations.

Synonyms: name