If I'm walking, cycling or in a dala dala, it is as common as a cold for me to hear someone say or shout "Mzungu" at me or about me. Usually it's kids using it when I pass by as they greet me but alot of adults use it too. It basically means white man.
The Wikipedia definition of "Mzungu"
I love the way that beside the singular and plural version of the term it has the possessive word. "My white man". Like a pet or something.
Yesterday, I was walking to a shop to get a drink and I passed 3 women, one of which said "Oooh, mzungu !" I'm guessing she didn't know I knew the word because when I looked back for a second, she awkwardly said mambo (hello) and the other 2 started laughing.
It's not a word that is meant to be an insult or anything like that, but to me it just sounds a bit weird. Imagine walking down Grafton Street and saying out loud, "Oooh, a black man !" Hopefully it's a word I can bring back to Dublin and find some use for it.
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