asali (Swahili)

Where does "asali" come from?

The Swahili word 'asali' is a loanword derived directly from the Arabic 'ʕasal'. This term shares roots with the broader Semitic linguistic family and has been used for centuries to describe honey, as well as various types of syrup.

Full etymology tree

• asali (Swahili), 'honey (sweet substance produced by bees)'
  • borrowed عسل (ʿasal) (Arabic), 'to move, to vibrate, to shake'

Updated June 2026

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