Where does “ingonyama” come from?

ingonyama (Xhosa) comes from Xhosa ingwe, from Proto-Bantu ngòì — leopard.

ingonyama (Xhosa): lion

Definitions

  1. lion

Ancestry of “ingonyama”, step by step

ingonyama traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Xhosa ingwe

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Xhosaingweleopard
2Proto-Bantungòìleopard

via Xhosa inyama

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Xhosainyamameat, flesh
2Proto-Bantunɲàmàanimal; meat
Every word from Proto-Bantu ngòì →Every word from Xhosa ingwe →