Tanganyika
/ˌtæŋ.ɡəˈniː.kə/noun
A large lake in East Africa, one of the deepest and longest freshwater lakes in the world.
Did you know?Tanganyika is generally explained as a Bantu name associated with the lake, traditionally interpreted as meaning something like “meeting place” or “great lake,” but the exact original form is uncertain because the name entered European records through local usage rather than a single fixed written source.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-colonial East Africa
Bantu
Tanganyika
“A local name applied to the great lake and its surrounding region, likely from an indigenous Bantu-language expression.”
19th Century
Swahili
Tanganyika
“The established local name for the lake in regional trade and travel usage.”
Late 19th Century
German
Tanganjikasee
“The lake’s name recorded in German colonial maps and reports.”
Early 20th Century
English
Tanganyika
“The English form of the lake and region name.”
Modern English
English
Tanganyika
“The proper name of Lake Tanganyika and historical references to the former Tanganyika territory.”