Nyamwezi
/ˌnjamˈweɪzi
/noun (plural same or Nyamwezis)
1A member of a people inhabiting western Tanzania.At the same time, formal education equips the Nyamwezi with basic skills for life in modern Tanzanian society....
- Besides the tourist market, the Nyamwezi in former times carved thrones for their chiefs.
- The Nyamwezi (originally and also Wanyamwezi) are the second-largest of over 120 ethnic groups in Tanzania.
2 [mass noun] The Bantu language of the Nyamwezi, related to Sukuma and having about 900,000 speakers.Sukuma and Nyamwezi, spoken in western Tanzania, form a dialect continuum....
- Hulu may mean ‘Cease’ and ‘Desist’ in Swahili but Lulu means ‘bitter’ in Nyamwezi, Nyaturucha, and Sukuma.
adjective
Relating to the Nyamwezi or their language.Relations with the ancestors and respect for Nyamwezi traditions are maintained through ritual activity such as animal sacrifices and other ceremonies....
- It unraveled in the second half of the nineteenth century as the Nyamwezi trader, Msiri, allied with Swahili traders, intervened in succession disputes and undermined the integrity of the kingdom.
- Sungusungu is often referred to as an ‘army of the ancestors’ because of its close emergence within the Sukuma and Nyamwezi ethnic groups.
Origin
A local name.