mzee

Borrowed from Swahili mzee, from -zee (“old”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /(ə)mˈzeɪ/

mzee (plural mzees or wazee)

1. (East Africa) An elder (old person).
   • 1993, Funk & Wagnalls Corporation, Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, volume 15, page 233:

     Kenyatta was recognized at the time of his death in mid-1978 as Mzee, "the wise old one," not only by his own people but by a wide array of world leaders.

   • 2003, Ward S Just, The American Ambassador:

     ...every President since Teddy Roosevelt saw Africa in the faces of her mzees, in their English suits or tribal robes...

   • 2005, Ernest Hemingway, Robert William Lewis, Under Kilimanjaro:

     It is difficult to be both and the older mzees resent the irregularity of the position.

   • 2006, Edward I Steinhart, Black poachers, white hunters: a social history of hunting in colonial Kenya:

     ...we arranged an impromptu interview with this reluctant and less than candid local mzee, who lived near the Tsavo boundary.

• senior, senior citizen; see also Thesaurus:old person

• meze

From m- +‎ -zee (“old”).

• (Unguja standard) IPA^(key): /m̩ˈzɛː/

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

mzee class I (plural wazee class II)

1. elder, respected old person
2. title of respect to anyone older than oneself, including parents

• → English: mzee
• → Kikuyu: mũthee
• → Nubi: muzé
• → Subi: omuzehe

mzee

1. m class_(I)/m class_(III)/u class_(XI) inflected form of -zee