Burundi
/buːˈrʊn.di/noun
A country in East Africa, on the northeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika.
Did you know?The name Burundi is tied to the historical kingdom of Burundi and its people, the Barundi, whose ethnonym reflects a long precolonial political and cultural identity rather than a modern invention.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial era
Kirundi
Burundi
“The name of the kingdom and its territory, associated with the people of the Barundi.”
19th Century
German
Urundi
“A colonial-era rendering of the region’s name in European sources.”
Early 20th Century
French
Urundi
“The name used in Belgian and French colonial administration for the territory.”
Modern English
English
Burundi
“The modern country name adopted in English from the native and colonial forms.”