umfundisi, noun
- Forms:
- Show more Also fundees, fundis, mfundisi, M’fundis, mfundizi, umfundees, umfundis, umfundise, and with initial capital.
- Plurals:
- abafundis, abafundisi, bafundis, bafundisi, and (occasionally) unchanged.
- Origin:
- IsiXhosa, IsiZuluShow more IsiXhosa and isiZulu, a teacher (plural abafundisi, vocative mfundisi).
Among speakers of isiXhosa and isiZulu: a priest or minister; a teacher; also (occasionally) a term of address; moruti.
1825 W. Shaw in C. Sadler Never a Young Man (1967) 64On my saying that the Caffres knew me to be a ‘Fundis’ (teacher) and why should a minister carry arms? Katongo said that might be, but he was not certain that if we fell in with any elephants they would recognise me as a ‘Fundis’.
1990 O. Musi in City Press 4 Mar. 6There are too many churches, too many Bafundisi and too many Archbishops.
a priest or minister; a teacher; also (occasionally) a term of address; moruti.
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