Azande
/əˈzændi/noun
The plural name for the Zande people of Central Africa, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
Did you know?Among the Azande, benge—a poison oracle traditionally involving a chicken—was consulted to reveal supernatural causes and guide decisions, as famously documented by anthropologist E. E. Evans-Pritchard.
Etymological Timeline
19th Century
Zande
Zande
“The singular or base ethnonym associated with the people and their language.”
19th Century
Arabic
Azande
“A plural ethnonym used in Arabic- and European-mediated records for the Zande peoples.”
Late 19th Century
French
Azandé
“The French colonial spelling of the ethnonym, often referring collectively to Zande-speaking communities.”
1890s
English
Azande
“The English ethnographic plural name adopted in accounts of Central African societies.”
Modern English
English
Azande
“The established plural name for the Zande people; the singular form is commonly Zande.”