Banza
/ˈbæn.zə/noun
A banjo-like African stringed instrument, or a variant name for the banjo.
Did you know?The word is linked to Kimbundu mbanza, a term associated with an African stringed instrument and often discussed in the wider history of the banjo’s African origins.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-19th Century
Kimbundu
mbanza
“An African stringed instrument; the initial nasal consonant was later dropped in some borrowed forms.”
18th–19th Century
Portuguese
banza
“A name for an African stringed instrument, borrowed from Kimbundu.”
19th Century
English
banza
“A banjo-like African instrument or a variant term for banjo.”
Modern English
English
banza
“A rare dictionary word referring to a banjo-like instrument.”