Ngwenyama
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Ngwenyama (also Ingwenyama) is the title of the male ruler (King) of Swaziland.
The Ngwenyama is the counterpart of the Ndlovukati.[1]
All Swazi kings must belong to the Dlamini clan.
Ingwenyama means "lion" in siSwati, but in an honorific sense, distinguished from libhubesi, the usual way of referring to actual lions.
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
- ^ 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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