inja
/îːɲdʒá/class 10, class 9
The Zulu word for dog is inja.
inja is the noun used to refer to the animal known as a dog.
Meaning: animal (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun inja belongs to both noun class 9 and class 10.
How do you pronounce it?
/îːɲdʒá/
Did you know?
- In Zulu culture, the word inja can be used as a harsh insult to describe a person who is perceived as shameless or lacking in dignity.
- The word inja is a descendant of the reconstructed Proto-Bantu root *mbʊ́à.
- Beyond being pets, inja are sometimes viewed in traditional folklore as possessing supernatural qualities that allow them to guard the homestead against spiritual threats.
Examples in context
- Ngibona inja emhlophe.I see a white dog.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dog” translations and entries inja, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries inja, CC BY-SA 4.0.
