Nshima

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A thick staple porridge made from finely ground maize meal, widely eaten in Zambia and neighboring southern African countries
2. A stiff dough of cornmeal cooked with water into a firm mass, a everyday food across Zambia and nearby parts of Africa
3. A traditional maize-based staple, prepared as a thick porridge and eaten as the main starch in Zambia and surrounding regions

Etymology: Nshima is a staple porridge of maize meal eaten across Zambia, Malawi and neighbouring parts of southern Africa, and the English word came in from one of those languages. The likeliest source is Bemba, a major language of Zambia, where the word is "nshima"; a closely related form, "nsíma", appears in Chichewa, the language of Malawi. The English word is therefore a borrowing from an African language rather than something formed from English or European roots. Because the word names a specific food from a specific region, it entered English as a plain foreign term for a local dish, much like other food words borrowed from the languages of the places where those foods were eaten. Its spelling has been kept close to the original, so the initial "n" is pronounced as a syllable-initial sound and the word is not spelled with an English adaptation.

Synonyms: sadza, ugali