Oshivambo
/ˌoʊ.ʃiˈvɑːm.boʊ/noun
A variant English spelling of Oshiwambo, the group of closely related Bantu languages spoken mainly in northern Namibia and southern Angola.
Did you know?Oshivambo is not usually the name of one single language; it can refer broadly to an entire cluster that includes Oshindonga and Oshikwanyama.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Bantu
Proto-Bantu
*ki-
“A reconstructed noun-class prefix associated with languages or linguistic forms; this is the proposed deep source of the Oshiwambo prefix oshi-.”
Precolonial period
Bantu
oshi-
“A noun-class prefix used in several Bantu languages, including forms referring to a language or linguistic variety.”
19th Century
European records
Ovambo / Ambo
“Names recorded by European travelers and authorities for the Ovambo peoples and their region in present-day northern Namibia and southern Angola.”
19th–20th Century
English
Oshivambo
“An English rendering used for the language group associated with the Ovambo peoples.”
Modern English
English
Oshiwambo
“The now-common spelling for the closely related languages collectively spoken by Ovambo communities.”
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