Angola
/æŋˈɡoʊlə/noun
A country on the west coast of southern Africa.
Did you know?Portuguese explorers recorded the Kimbundu royal title ngola as Angola, transforming the title of Ndongo’s rulers into the colony’s name and later the modern state’s name.
Etymological Timeline
Before the 16th Century
Kimbundu
ngola
“A royal title used by rulers of the Ndongo kingdom”
16th Century
Portuguese
Angola
“Portuguese rendering of ngola, applied to the Ndongo region and its ruler”
16th–17th Centuries
Portuguese
Reino de Angola
“Kingdom of Angola, the name used in Portuguese colonial and commercial records”
19th Century
Portuguese
Angola
“Portuguese colony and territorial designation in west-central Africa”
1975
Portuguese
República Popular de Angola
“People’s Republic of Angola, the country’s official name after independence”
Modern English
English
Angola
“The independent country on Africa’s southwestern Atlantic coast”