Wangara
/wɑːŋˈɡɑːrə/noun
A historical name for Muslim West African merchants and Mande-speaking commercial communities involved in trans-Saharan trade.
Did you know?Medieval Arabic writers described Wangara merchants in connection with the gold trade south of the Sahara, but the original meaning of the name itself remains uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
13th Century
Arabic sources
Wangara
“A name used for West African Muslim merchants and trading communities south of the Sahara.”
14th Century
Arabic
Wangara
“A commercial population associated with the gold-producing regions of West Africa.”
15th–16th Century
West African usage
Wangara
“An ethnonym linked especially with Mande-speaking traders, including communities active around Mali and Songhai.”
17th–19th Century
European writing
Wangara
“A recorded name for West African trading peoples, sometimes applied broadly to Dyula or related merchant groups.”
Modern English
English
Wangara
“A historical ethnonym referring to Muslim Mande-associated traders and communities of West Africa.”