bakongo
|ba-kon-go|
🇺🇸
/bəˈkɒŋɡoʊ/
🇬🇧
/bəˈkɒŋɡəʊ/
(Bakongo)
Kongo people (plural)
Etymology
'Bakongo' originates from Kikongo, specifically the plural prefix 'ba-' plus 'Kongo' (the name of the people/kingdom), where 'ba-' marked plural people.
'Bakongo' was recorded by Portuguese and other European writers as 'Congo'/'Kongo' when referring to the kingdom and its people; the form 'Bakongo' reflects the Kikongo plural prefix attached to the ethnonym.
Initially it meant 'the people of Kongo' (members of the Kongo polity or ethnic group); this meaning has remained the same, though European texts sometimes adapted the form to 'Congo' or 'Kongo'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural name for the Kongo people — an ethnic group of west-central Africa (primarily parts of Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo).
Many bakongo live along the lower Congo River and maintain strong kinship ties across national borders.
Synonyms
Noun 2
used in anthropological and historical contexts to refer collectively to the speakers of Kikongo and members of the historical Kingdom of Kongo (usage note: the singular in Kikongo is 'Mukongo').
19th-century travelers wrote about the political organization of the bakongo and the legacy of the Kongo kingdom.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/03 07:26