Namibian
/nəˈmɪb.i.ən/noun
A person from Namibia or something relating to Namibia.
Did you know?The country’s name was created from “Namib,” the name of its coastal desert, rather than the desert being named after the modern nation.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Khoekhoegowab
namib
“A vast or extensive place; the name applied to the great coastal desert.”
19th Century
German
Namib
“The name used for the southwestern African coastal desert in European geographical writing.”
Early 20th Century
English/German
Namibia
“A proposed territorial name formed from Namib with the place-name suffix -ia.”
1960s
English
Namibia
“The emerging national name adopted in political and international usage.”
1990
English
Namibian
“The English demonym and adjective formed from Namibia with -ian, following independence.”
Explore more surprising origins