Ongwediva
/ɔŋɡwəˈdiːvə/noun
Ongwediva is a town in northern Namibia, in the Oshana Region.
Did you know?The name is generally explained through Oshiwambo, but published sources vary in how they analyze its individual parts, so the leopard interpretation should be treated as a traditional gloss rather than absolute certainty.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Oshiwambo
ongwediva
“A traditional place-name associated with a leopard; the precise internal analysis is not uniformly documented.”
19th–early 20th Century
Oshiwambo
Ongwediva
“An established local place-name in the Ovambo-speaking region.”
20th Century
South African administration
Ongwediva
“The recorded name of a settlement in the territory then administered as South West Africa.”
1960s
English / Oshiwambo
Ongwediva
“The name used for the developing settlement and educational center in northern Namibia.”
1990–present
English / Oshiwambo
Ongwediva
“The official name of a Namibian town in the Oshana Region.”