Makonde
/məˈkɒn.di/noun
A Bantu-speaking people of southeastern Tanzania and northern Mozambique, and the name of their language.
Did you know?Makonde sculptors are internationally known for mapiko masquerade traditions and expressive shetani figures, often associated with spirits and supernatural beings.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Bantu
Makonde
“An indigenous ethnonym used for the Makonde people; the word’s deeper lexical origin is disputed.”
18th–19th Century
KiMakonde
Shimakonde
“The Makonde language; the prefix shi- is a common Bantu language-class marker in this region.”
19th Century
Swahili
Wamakonde
“The Makonde people; wa- is a Swahili plural/person marker.”
19th Century
Portuguese
Macondes
“Portuguese colonial designation for the Makonde people.”
20th Century
English
Makonde
“An established English ethnonym and name for the Bantu language spoken in Tanzania and Mozambique.”
Explore more surprising origins