Swaziland
/ˈswɑː.zi.lænd/noun
The former English name of the southern African kingdom officially renamed Eswatini in 2018.
Did you know?“Swaziland” was officially changed to “Eswatini” in 2018; King Mswati III said the indigenous name better reflected the kingdom and helped distinguish it from Switzerland.
Etymological Timeline
Early 19th Century
siSwati
emaSwati
“The Swazi people; the plural form associated with the kingdom’s inhabitants.”
c. 1840–1868
siSwati
Mswati
“The personal name of Mswati II, the influential Swazi king after whom the people and kingdom became known in European usage.”
19th Century
English
Swazi
“An English rendering of the name for the people of the Swazi kingdom.”
19th Century
English
Swaziland
“A compound of Swazi and land, meaning the land inhabited by the Swazi people.”
1968
English
Kingdom of Swaziland
“The official English name adopted at independence from Britain.”
2018
English
Eswatini
“The country’s restored official name, commonly understood as “land of the Swazis.””