The release of the live-action adaptation of The Lion King invites a brand new audience to fall in love with Simba and Nala, voiced by a diverse cast that includes Donald Glover and Beyonce Knowles. And while we’re sure you’re as excited as we are to hear these two sing a beautiful rendition of Can You Feel The Love Tonight, as language lovers we want to go beyond just the English used in the film. So without further ado, here are the other languages that are a vital part of The Lion King.
Swahili
Swahili, also known as Kiswahili to differentiate between thelanguage andpeople of Swahili, is a Bantu language that belongs to the Niger-Congo language family. Swahili is considered a lingua franca in the African Great Lakes region of Africa as well as other parts of the continent to the south and east. If you are visiting Africa you are most likely to hear Swahili in the following places: Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia. There are around 16 million people who speak Swahili as a first language and almost 100 million as a second.
The Lion King taught us whathakuna matada means, which isno worries if you’ve forgotten. Did you know you were speaking Swahili when you were singing along? What about your favourite characters?Simba meanslion,Nala meansgift, andMufasa meansking. And our teachers of the meaning ofhakuna matada need a mention here too:Timon meansrespect, whilePumbaa meansslow-witted. In fact, all of the names in The Lion King have origins in Swahili; everyone fromRafiki (friend) toZazu (movement)!
Zulu
Zulu, also known as isiZulu to distinguish between the language and the people, is a Southern Bantu language belonging to the Niger-Congo language family like Swahili. Zulu is the native language to South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatani, and an official language for South Africa. It follows then that Zulu is the most widely spoken language in South Africa, with 24 percent of the population speaking it at home and more than half the population able to understand it. Around 28 million people speak Zulu as either an L1 or L2 language.
All of the songs of The Lion King are memorable and the Circle of Life is no exception. The introduction to this song in the film is in Zulu!
Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba
Sithi uhm ingonyama
Nants ingonyama bagithi baba
Sithi uhhmm ingonyama
Ingonyama
Siyo Nqoba
Ingonyama
Ingonyama nengw’ enamabala
This translates into English as:
There comes a lion, father
Oh yes it’s a lion
There comes a lion, father
Oh yes it’s a lion
A lion
We’re going to conquer
A lion
A lion and a leopard come to this open place
So now you know what you’re saying if you’re singing!
Xhosa (and other languages)
Xhosa is sometimes referred to as the clicking language thanks to its clicking consonants. Xhosa is a Nguni Bantu language which like all the other African languages of The Lion King is part of the Niger-Congo language family. You will hear Xhosa in places like the Eastern Cape, the Western Cape, and the KwaZulu-Natal. There are around 19 million speakers of Xhosa in total.
Xhosa has a much smaller language role in The Lion King when compared with Swahili and Zulu, since it is only heard spoken occasionally by less prominent characters. Though if you want to hear Xhosa more in The Lion King then you could choose to watch the musical performance instead of (or as well as) the film. This Broadway success is now in its twenty-second year and incorporates a number of African languages besides Xhosa. The cast will sing and speak to you in Swahili, Zulu, Sotho, and Tswana!
The original Lion King has been translated into and released in 44 languages around the world, which will also be the case for the new version. To give you a taster of what some of those songs might sound like here is Can You Feel The Love Tonight again, though this time sung by Beyonce and Jacky Cheung.
Why not use The Lion King as an opportunity for practice if you are studying a language? Watch a version in one of those 44 different languages and see what you already know. And if you’re looking for some guidance with your language studies beyond watching a film then we can help! Drop us a quick inquiry and see how our courses will benefit you.
FAQs
Simba too, is a very literal translation, it's simply the Swahili word for lion. In fact, many of the lovable (and some not so lovable) Disney film's character's names are from the beautiful Swahili language, the predominant language spoken in East Africa – specifically Kenya and Tanzania.
What language is Rafiki speaking in lion King? ›
The lion villain, Scar, speaking in a feminized British accent is portrayed as intelligent and has power over the other villainous characters (hyenas) and rules over the pride for multiple years. The baboon, Rafiki, speaks in a vague Swahilli accent and unintelligible gibberish.
What does zazu mean in Swahili? ›
Zazu means Movement. Sarafina means Bright Star. Shenzi means Savage. Banzai means Skulk or Lurk.
What language is Mufasa? ›
The name Mufasa traces its origins back to the African - Swahili language, derived from the powerful verb kutawala, meaning to rule or to govern. It carries with it a rich historical significance and has been deeply integrated into various African cultures, particularly those influenced by Swahili.
What does Mufasa mean in Swahili? ›
Did you know you were speaking Swahili when you were singing along? What about your favourite characters? Simba means lion, Nala means gift, and Mufasa means king. And our teachers of the meaning of hakuna matada need a mention here too: Timon means respect, while Pumbaa means slow-witted.
What does pumbaa mean in Swahili? ›
In Swahili, Pumbaa means to be foolish, silly, weak-minded, careless, negligent. Timon is one of the few characters whose name has no meaning in Swahili. Instead, Timon is a historical Greek name meaning “he who respects”.
What does Nala mean in Swahili? ›
Nala is a feminine name originating from many African cultures. In Swahili, this name means “queen,” “lion,” and “successful”. Nala is most notably the name of Simbas's lifelong friend—a spirited heroine who eventually becomes queen of the pride in The Lion King.
What does Timon mean in Swahili? ›
Timon is a name derived from Greek vocubulary. It means 'the respectful one', and may only be roughly translated to Swahili as 'mwenye heshima'.
What does Mufasa mean in Islam? ›
Arabic. Meaning. "The Chosen One" "المختار"
What does Kovu mean in African? ›
This is a Swahili name meaning “scar”. Possibly the biggest lion we've ever had at Livingstone, Kovu is HUGE! He's also extraordinarily handsome and very calm and gentle. Kovu has always enjoyed human and lion company and is a mild-mannered presence at Livingstone.
What is Scar's real name in the Lion King movie? In the Lion King universe, Scar's real name is Taka. This name was revealed in the book series 'The Lion King: Six New Adventures'. However, after receiving a scar from a cape buffalo, he became known as 'Scar'.
What language is Pumbaa? ›
As with many characters in The Lion King, Pumbaa's name derives from the East African language Swahili. In Swahili, pumbaa (v.)
What does Simba mean in Swahili? ›
Origin:Swahili. Other Origin(s):African. Meaning:Lion; Strength, strong, power. Simba is a boy's name of Swahili origin celebrated by many an inner child across the world. Meaning "lion," Simba has reached a legendary status thanks to the beloved lead character in The Lion King.
What is Sarabi in Swahili? ›
The name Sarabi has its origins in the Swahili language, where it means Mirage. Swahili is a Bantu language widely spoken in East Africa, particularly in countries like Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
What language is Hakuna Matata? ›
Hakuna matata roughly translates to “there are no troubles” in Swahili. The phrase was popularized in English by the 1994 Disney movie The Lion King, where it's translated as “no worries.” It has a connotation of not worrying about things outside a person's control.
Is Zulu and Swahili the same? ›
Zulu—which is called isiZulu in Zulu itself—is spoken by approximately 12 million people, primarily in South Africa. Zulu joins Swahili as Duolingo's second Bantu language. Bantu is a group of languages within the Niger-Congo language family—it's one of the world's major language families.
What is the Zulu chant in The Lion King? ›
The Circle Of Life has at the beginning a Zulu chant “Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba Sithi uhm ingonyama Nants ingonyama bagithi baba Sithi uhhmm ingonyama Ingonyama Siyo Nqoba Ingonyama Ingonyama nengw' enamabala" translated means: "Here comes a lion, father Oh yes it's a lion Here comes a lion, father Oh yes it's a ...
What does Rafiki say in Swahili? ›
During the film, Rafiki sings a nonsense chant: "Asante sana, squash banana, wewe nugu, mimi hapana." This is a Swahili playground rhyme which translates to "Thank you very much (squash banana), you're a baboon and I'm not!" Like "hakuna matata" (no worries), the chant was heard by the filmmakers on their research trip ...
