Ovambo
/oʊˈvæm.boʊ/noun
A member of a group of closely related Bantu-speaking peoples living mainly in northern Namibia and southern Angola, or any of their languages.
Did you know?“Ovambo” is largely an outsider-used umbrella name; many people identified under it traditionally use more specific identities such as Kwanyama, Ndonga, or Ombalantu.
Etymological Timeline
Before European recording
Bantu
Aawambo
“A collective self-designation associated with the Ovambo-speaking peoples; the exact original sense of the root is uncertain.”
19th Century
Oshivambo
Ovambo
“A plural ethnonym used within the region for related northern Namibian and southern Angolan communities.”
19th Century
European records
Ambo
“A shortened or variant form used by European travelers and colonial writers.”
Late 19th–20th Century
German/Portuguese/English
Ovambo
“A regional ethnonym applied broadly to related peoples and their languages.”
Modern English
English
Ovambo
“A collective ethnonym and linguistic label, also appearing in terms such as Ovambo languages and the historical region of Ovamboland.”