Kilimanjaro
/ˌkɪlɪmənˈdʒɑːroʊ/noun
A volcanic mountain in northeastern Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa.
Did you know?The popular claim that Njaro means “shining” or refers to a demon is disputed; specialists agree more confidently on the Swahili element kilima, meaning “mountain.”
Etymological Timeline
Before 19th Century
Chagga languages
Uncertain local forms
“The mountain had names in languages spoken around it, but the precise source of the modern name is unresolved.”
19th Century
Swahili
kilima
“Mountain or hill; the clearest identifiable element in Kilimanjaro.”
1848
German records
Kilimandscharo
“One of the earliest widely recorded European spellings of the mountain’s name.”
1880s
English
Kilimanjaro
“The spelling became established in English geographical usage.”
Modern English
English
Kilimanjaro
“A proper name for Tanzania’s massive stratovolcanic mountain, rising to 5,895 metres.”