Lozi
/ˈloʊ.zi/noun
A Bantu language of western Zambia and the name of the people who traditionally speak it.
Did you know?Lozi is also called Silozi, while its speakers are widely known as the Lozi or Barotse; the name is closely tied to the historic Barotse Kingdom in the Zambezi floodplain.
Etymological Timeline
Early 19th Century
Bantu languages
Luyi
“An earlier name associated with the language and people who later became identified with the Lozi.”
19th Century
Silozi
Silozi
“The Lozi language; the form uses the Bantu language-class prefix si-.”
19th Century
English
Barotse
“An English rendering used for the people and kingdom centered in the Barotse floodplain.”
20th Century
English
Lozi
“The standard English name for the language and its principal ethnic community.”
Modern English
English
Lozi
“Relating to the Lozi people, their language, or their traditional kingdom in western Zambia.”