Tchokwe
/ˈtʃɒkweɪ/noun
A Bantu-speaking ethnic group and language primarily associated with Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia.
Did you know?Tchokwe artists are renowned for intricate masks and sculptures connected with initiation, leadership, ancestry, and ritual performance, especially the famous Chibinda Ilunga tradition.
Etymological Timeline
Early modern period
Chokwe
Cokwe
“A self-designation or language form associated with the Chokwe people; the original lexical meaning is not securely established.”
18th–19th Century
Bantu languages
Cokwe
“The form used within regional Bantu-speaking communities in the area of present-day Angola and neighboring regions.”
19th Century
Portuguese
Quioco / Quiocos
“Colonial Portuguese forms used for the people and their language.”
19th–20th Century
European scholarship
Tshokwe / Chokwe
“Transliterated forms adopted in ethnographic and linguistic writing.”
Modern English
English
Tchokwe
“An English variant referring to the Chokwe people or their Bantu language; spelling varies, with Chokwe now especially common.”