Ngoni
/ŋɡoʊˈniː/noun
A member of a group of Nguni-speaking peoples who migrated into parts of present-day Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, and Tanzania during the nineteenth century.
Did you know?The Ngoni communities formed largely through migrations associated with the upheavals of the Mfecane and preserved elements of Zulu-related military and political traditions far from present-day South Africa.
Etymological Timeline
Early 19th Century
Nguni languages
amaNguni
“A collective name for Nguni-speaking peoples of southeastern Africa; this is the linguistic source generally associated with Ngoni.”
c. 1810s–1840s
Southern African historical usage
Nguni
“A broad ethnolinguistic identity associated with communities involved in migrations and conflicts during the Mfecane period.”
19th Century
Chewa and neighboring languages
Ngoni
“A name applied to migrant communities who settled in areas around present-day Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique.”
Late 19th Century
English
Angoni / Ngoni
“Colonial-era English forms referring to the Ngoni people and their political communities.”
Modern English
English
Ngoni
“The established modern ethnonym for several related communities, and also the name of their Bantu language varieties.”