safari (English)

Where does "safari" come from?

The English word 'safari' originated as a direct borrowing from the Swahili word 'safari', which carries the meaning of 'journey'[1][2]. This Swahili term itself traces its ancestry back to the Arabic noun 'safar'[1][2]. The ultimate root of the word is linked to the Arabic root 's f r', which shares a potential connection to the Akkadian verb 'šapārum', meaning 'to send'[3].

Open questions

• The potential link between the Arabic root and the Akkadian verb is a suggested comparison rather than a confirmed etymological descent. [3]

Full etymology tree

• safari (English), 'A trip into any undeveloped area to see, photograph or to hunt wild animals in their own environment.'
  • borrowed safari (Swahili), 'journey, trip'
    • borrowed سفر (safar) (Arabic), 'departure, journey, travel'

Ancestors

• safari (Swahili)

Descendants and derived words

• human safari (English)
• safari ant (English)
• safarier (English)
• safari-goer (English)
• safarigoer (English)
• safari jacket (English)
• safari man (English)
• safari park (English)
• safari suit (English)
• safari supper (English)
• safari zoo (English)
• surfari (English)

Sources

1. safari (English) - Wiktionary
2. safari (Swahili) - Wiktionary
3. سفر (safar) (Arabic) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris