Ngola
/ˈŋɡɔːlə/noun
A royal title meaning king or ruler among the Mbundu-speaking people of west-central Africa.
Did you know?The country name Angola comes from Portuguese attempts to record Ngola, the title of the rulers of the Ndongo kingdom—including the legendary Queen Nzinga.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Kimbundu
ngola
“Royal title for a ruler or king among the Mbundu peoples.”
16th Century
Kimbundu
Ngola
“Title used by the rulers of the Kingdom of Ndongo in present-day Angola.”
16th Century
Portuguese
Angola
“Portuguese rendering of Ngola, applied first to the ruler and then to the surrounding territory.”
17th Century
Portuguese
Reino de Angola
“The Kingdom of Angola, a colonial-era geographic and political designation.”
Modern English
English
Angola
“The modern country whose name ultimately derives from the title Ngola.”