Lake Nyasa
/ˌleɪk naɪˈɑːsə/noun
A historical English name for Lake Malawi, the large lake bordered by Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania.
Did you know?“Lake Nyasa” was widely used in English before Malawi’s independence, while “Lake Malawi” became the country’s preferred official name after 1964; “Nyasa” remains common in historical and regional usage.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lókus
“A lake, pool, or body of standing water; the likely deep ancestor of the Germanic family behind English lake.”
Proto-Bantu
Proto-Bantu
*nya(n)ja / *nyasa
“A reconstructed Bantu-related form associated with a lake or large body of water; the precise historical relationship between forms varies by language and source.”
Medieval–Early Modern Africa
Bantu languages
nyasa / nyanja
“A regional word meaning “lake”; related forms occur in languages and names around southeastern Africa.”
16th–19th Century
Portuguese / English
Niassa / Nyasa
“European spellings used for the lake and surrounding region, reflecting local names recorded by explorers, traders, and mapmakers.”
19th Century
English
Lake Nyasa
“The established English geographical name for the great lake in southeastern Africa.”
1964–Modern English
English
Lake Malawi
“The official name adopted by Malawi after independence; Lake Nyasa survives as an alternate and historical name.”
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