riwaya
English meaning: Novel
Swahili Definition
(Kiswahili)Hadithi ndefu ya kisanaa iliyoandikwa kwa nathari inayosimulia matukio ya kufikirika.
English Definition
A long fictional narrative in prose. The Swahili novel (riwaya) is a relatively modern form that has grown rapidly since the 1960s. Important works include Shaaban Robert's Kusadikika (1951), Euphrase Kezilahabi's Rosa Mistika (1971), and Ngugi wa Thiong'o's Wizard of the Crow. East African prose fiction engages with colonialism, independence, corruption, and social change. Many works are translated from English or Gikuyu into Swahili.
Example
“Shaaban Robert aliandika 'Kusadikika' — moja ya riwaya za kwanza za Kiswahili.”
In English: “Shaaban Robert wrote 'Kusadikika' — one of the first Swahili novels.”
Synonyms
- hadithi ndefu
- kitabu cha hadithi
Literary Heritage
“Mashairi ni hazina ya lugha, yamehifadhi hekima ya vizazi.”
“Poetry is the treasury of language; it has preserved the wisdom of generations.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- Kiswahili
- Swahili
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Niger-Congo
- Speakers
- 100M