Oshana Region
/oʊˈʃɑː.nə ˈriː.dʒən/noun
An administrative region in northern Namibia, named after its seasonal shallow floodplains.
Did you know?The oshanas are not permanent lakes: seasonal water flowing from Angola can transform normally dry depressions into interconnected wetlands, shaping settlement, travel, and agriculture.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reg-
“To straighten, direct, or guide; the ancient root behind the later sense of governing or ordering.”
Ancient Latin
Latin
regio
“A direction, boundary, district, or area under a particular division.”
Middle English
Anglo-Norman/Middle English
regioun
“A territory, district, or defined area.”
Precolonial period
Oshiwambo
oshana
“A shallow depression or floodplain that may hold seasonal water.”
1992
English/Namibian usage
Oshana Region
“The name given to one of Namibia’s administrative regions after independence-era regional reorganization.”