Where does “ngonyama” come from?

ngonyama (Fanagalo) comes from Zulu ingonyama, from Zulu ingwe, from Proto-Bantu ngòì — leopard.

ngonyama (Fanagalo): lion

Definitions

  1. lion

Ancestry of “ngonyama”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Zuluingonyamalion
2Zuluingweleopard
3Proto-Bantungòìleopard
Every word from Proto-Bantu ngòì →Every word from Zulu ingwe →Every word from Zulu ingonyama →