A title of respect or term of endearment for women in Swahili, Arabic, and other East African languages, meaning 'lady' or 'mistress.'
From Arabic 'bibī,' a term of respect for women, widely adopted in East Africa through trade and cultural contact. The word spread through Swahili and other regional languages during the centuries of Arab commerce.
The word 'bibi' traveled along ancient trade routes as Arab merchants moved across East Africa, and it became embedded in local languages so thoroughly that many people don't realize it's originally Arabic! It's a perfect example of how trade routes spread language across continents.
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