Where does “Chewa” come from?

Chewa (English) comes from Chichewa Chicheŵa, from Chichewa chi-, from Proto-Bantu kɪ̀- — Class 7 noun prefix.

Chewa (English): A member of an African people inhabiting central...

Definitions

  1. A member of an African people inhabiting central...

Ancestry of “Chewa”, step by step

Chewa traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Chichewa Chicheŵa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1ChichewaChicheŵaChichewa
2Chichewachi-language prefix; language
3Proto-Bantukɪ̀-Class 7 noun prefix

via Chichewa Mcheŵa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1ChichewaMcheŵaA Chewa; a member of the Chewa people
Every word from Proto-Bantu kɪ̀- →Every word from Chichewa chi- →Every word from Chichewa Chicheŵa →