A note on Swahili

In Swahili, many foreign words are adopted by adding an "i" to the end. "Hotel" is "hoteli," "change" (monetary change) is "chenji," "bank" is "benki." An American here in Tanzania named Bob told of the time he was in a shop and asked for a receipt using the Swahili dictionary term.

"What?" said the shop owner. "We haven't used that since Nyerere (first Tanzanian president). It's 'receipti.'"

Bob explained that after eating at a restaurant, one asks for the "billi." Another American named Mabel said the best one she'd heard was from a pastor who began a prayer with "Dear Godi."