page_title: Nyamwezi people
hierarchical_section_title: Nyamwezi people
caption_attribution_description: For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Zu den Kämpfen in Deutsch-Ostafrika Afrikanische Hilfstruppen N.V.E.1507
context_page_description: The Nyamwezi, or Wanyamwezi, are one of the Bantu groups of East Africa and the second-largest ethnic group in Tanzania. The Nyamwezi people's ancestral homeland is in parts of Tabora Region, Singida Region, Shinyanga Region and Katavi Region. The term Nyamwezi is of Swahili origin, and translates as "people of the moon" on one hand but also means "people of the west" the latter being more meaningful to the context.
  Historically, there have been five ethnic groups, all referring to themselves as Wanyamwezi to outsiders: Kimbu, Konongo, Nyamwezi, Sukuma, and Sumbwa, who were never united. All groups normally merged have broadly similar cultures, although it is an oversimplification to view them as a single group. The Nyamwezi have close cultural ties with the Sukuma people. Their homeland is called Unyamwezi, and they speak the language Kinyamwezi, although many also speak Swahili or English.
  It was only in the 19th century that the name could be found in literature; the term might include almost anyone from the western plateau.
context_section_description: The Nyamwezi, or Wanyamwezi, are one of the Bantu groups of East Africa and the second-largest ethnic group in Tanzania. The Nyamwezi people's ancestral homeland is in parts of Tabora Region, Singida Region, Shinyanga Region and Katavi Region. The term Nyamwezi is of Swahili origin, and translates as "people of the moon" on one hand but also means "people of the west" the latter being more meaningful to the context.
  Historically, there have been five ethnic groups, all referring to themselves as Wanyamwezi to outsiders: Kimbu, Konongo, Nyamwezi, Sukuma, and Sumbwa, who were never united.  All groups normally merged have broadly similar cultures, although it is an oversimplification to view them as a single group. The Nyamwezi have close cultural ties with the Sukuma people.  Their homeland is called Unyamwezi, and they speak the language Kinyamwezi, although many also speak Swahili or English.
  It was only in the 19th century that the name could be found in literature; the term might include almost anyone from the western plateau. Travel taught them that others called them Nyamwezi, and almost all men accepted the name given to them by the coastal people indicating that the Nyamwezi came from the west.  A century later, their land is still called "Greater Unyamwezi", about 35,000 square miles (91,000 km²) of rolling land at an elevation of about 4,000 feet (1,200 m).
caption: Nyamwezi people in German East Africa, 1914
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