Etymology
Entering the English language in the late 19th century, the Swahili word safari means "long journey." Originally from the Arabic سفرية (safarīyah) meaning a journey The verb for "to travel" in Swahili is "kusafiri", the noun for the journey is "safari". These words are used for any type of journey, e.g. by bus from Nairobi to Mombasa or by ferry from Dar es Salaam to Unguja. The person generally attributed to having used the word in English is Sir Richard Francis Burton, the famous explorer.
The Regimental March of the King's African Rifles was 'Funga Safari', literally 'Halt the March', or, in other words, stop work for the day.
In the verse below, Hamari translates into English as 'drunkard' - this is not the original chant but a misheard version of it. Please see http://belmontroadreigate.nhwgroup.co.uk/events/events.asp and visit terminology on the left menu for a correct rendition. Try using a language translator such as provided by Google or the English Swahili dictionary http://africanlanguages.com/swahili/index.php?l=sw on the two versions to see the differenceFunga safari, funga safari. Funga safari, funga safari. Hamari ya nani? Hamari ya nani? Hamari ya Bwana Kapteni, Hamari ya keyaa.
Which is, in English:
Halt the march. Halt the march. On whose orders? On whose orders? On the order of the boss captain, On the order of the KAR.
On Kenya's independence from Britain, Funga Safari was retained as the Regimental March of the Kenya Rifles, successor to the K.A.R.
Today there are many operators throughout the African continent offering different levels of safari service, from lodge based tours, where clients travel between lodges or tented camps often by air, fly in safaris where clients will meet the camps and staff after travel by plane or helicopter, to the true Mobile Safari operation where the clients travel with the Guides, staff and equipment from site to site. The Mobile Safari offers guests a genuine safari experience, and they are often very ecologically friendly as they allow areas to regenerate and wildlife do not become as habituated to human presence as they may with a permanent lodge or tented camp.
Read more about this topic: Safari
Famous quotes containing the word etymology:
“The universal principle of etymology in all languages: words are carried over from bodies and from the properties of bodies to express the things of the mind and spirit. The order of ideas must follow the order of things.”
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