Safari
nounAn expedition or trip, usually to observe or photograph wild animals in their natural habitat.
How to spell safari
6 letters · 3 syllables
How to pronounce safari
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does safari mean?
- nounAn expedition or trip, usually to observe or photograph wild animals in their natural habitat.
Safari in a sentence
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The couple spent their honeymoon on a safari in Kenya.
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A guided safari took the tourists close to a herd of elephants.
Where does safari come from?
Language of origin: Arabic
Safari came into English in the second half of the 1800s from Swahili, the East African trade language, where 'safari' simply meant a journey or expedition. The Swahili word was itself borrowed from Arabic 'safar', which means 'a journey' or 'travel', tied to the verb 'safara', 'to travel'. English speakers, especially British explorers and hunters operating in East Africa, picked it up to describe a long overland trip, particularly one made to observe or hunt big game. Over time the meaning narrowed in everyday use to a trip taken to watch wildlife, often in Africa, and the word now carries strong tourist and conservation associations. The spelling is phonetic and stable, which keeps it easy: the single f and single r match the way the word sounds.
How the word is built
- safari (Swahili for 'journey, expedition', from Arabic safar 'journey')
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