Ngwenyama

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Ngwenyama ( also Ingwenyama ) is the title of the male ruler or king of Swaziland and counterpart of the Ndlovukati.[1] Ingwenyama means "lion" in siSwati, but in an honorific sense distinguished from libhubesi, the usual way of referring to lions as animals. Swazi kings must belong to the Dlamini clan. The title will sometimes be seen as Ingwenyama, iNgwenyama or ingwenyama, which means "the king". The prefix particle i- functions like the definite article the in English, so that one would write "The Ngwenyama went to Mbabane" or "Ingwenyama went to Mbabane", but not "The iNgwenyama went to Mbabane", because The and i- would be redundant. The plural form is tiNgwenyama.

References

  1. ↑ Kuper, Hilda (1980 [1947]). An African Aristocracy. Rank Among the Swazi [facsimile reprint]. Africana Publishing Company for the International African Institute.


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