Name & Title Pronunciation Guide

moh-JAH-jee /mɔˈdʒaːdʒi/

The hereditary Rain Queen of the Balobedu.

The letters “dj” spell an English-style “j”.

Also written Mudjadji

bah-loh-BEH-doo /ba.lɔˈbɛː.du/

The people and kingdom of the Rain Queen.

“Ba-” is the plural people-prefix; the older spelling “Lovedu” writes the same sound with a v.

Also written Lobedu, Lovedu

mah-seh-leh-KWAH-neh /ma.sɛ.lɛˈkwa.nɛ/

Modjadji I, the first Rain Queen (r. 1800–1854).

mah-KAW-boh /maˈkɔ.bɔ/

Makobo Modjadji VI, the modern Rain Queen (2003–2005).

NAHN-dee /ˈnaːn.di/

Nandi kaBhebhe, mother of Shaka and Zulu queen mother.

“kaBhebhe” means “daughter of Bhebhe”; “bh” is a breathy b.

SHAH-kah /ˈʃaː.ka/

Shaka kaSenzangakhona, the founding Zulu king.

Also spelled Chaka or Tshaka.

Also written Chaka

NGOO-nee /ˈᵑɡuː.ni/

The language cluster and peoples including Zulu, Xhosa, and Swazi.

The “ng” is the sound in “singer”, not “finger”.

ZOO-loo /ˈzuː.lu/

The Zulu kingdom and people of southern Africa.

n-dloh-VOO-kah-zee /ⁿdlɔˈvuː.ka.zi/

The Swazi queen mother, the “Great She-Elephant”.

Begins with an “nd” cluster; “dl” is one sound, made where d meets l. Also spelled Ndlovukati.

Also written Ndlovukati

ng-gwen-YAH-mah /ⁿɡwɛˈɲaː.ma/

The Swazi king, the “Lion”, co-ruler with the Ndlovukazi.

“ny” is the sound in “canyon”.

eh-swah-TEE-nee /ɛ.swaˈtiː.ni/

The Kingdom of Eswatini, formerly Swaziland.

Also written Swaziland

YAW-roo-bah /ˈjɔ.ru.ba/

A major West African people, language, and group of kingdoms.

Yoruba is a tonal language; the respelling cannot show the tones that distinguish words.

AW-bah /ˈɔ.ba/

A sacred king among the Yoruba and Edo, as with the Oba of Benin.

The o is open, as in “law”; often anglicised “OH-bah”.

Also written Ọba

aw-AW-nee /ɔˈɔ.ni/

The Ooni of Ife, spiritual head of the Yoruba.

Two open o-vowels in a row; also written Ọọni.

Also written Ọọni

ah-LAH-feen /a.laːˈfin/

The Alaafin, king of the Oyo empire.

The doubled “aa” marks a held vowel.

Also written Alafin

ee-YAW-bah /i.ˈjɔ.ba/

The queen mother of the Kingdom of Benin.

The o is open, as in “law”.

ee-DEE-ah /iˈdi.a/

Idia, the first Iyoba of Benin.

beh-NEEN /bɛˈnin/

The historical Edo kingdom of Benin.

The Edo kingdom in modern Nigeria; distinct from the modern Republic of Benin, which is named after the Bight of Benin.

Also written Edo

eh-SEE-gyeh /ɛˈsi.ɡje/

Oba Esigie of Benin, who created the Iyoba title for his mother Idia.

aw-heh-MAH /ɔ.hɛˈmaː/

The Akan queen mother and co-ruler.

Akan is tonal; written Ɔhemaa with an open “aw” vowel.

Also written Ɔhemaa

ah-SAHN-teh /aˈsan.tɛ/

The Asante (Ashanti) kingdom and people of Ghana.

“Ashanti” is the older anglicised spelling.

Also written Ashanti

ah-sahn-teh-HEH-neh /a.san.tɛˈhɛ.nɛ/

The king of Asante.

YAH ah-sahn-TEH-wah /jaː a.san.ˈtɛ.waː/

The Ejisu queen mother who led the 1900 Asante war.

“Yaa” is a day-name for a girl born on Thursday.

ah-KAHN /aˈkan/

The people and language group of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, including Asante and Fante.

mah-gah-JEE-yah /ma.ɡaˈdʒiː.ja/

A senior Hausa royal woman; in Daura tradition, a ruling queen.

Hausa is tonal and distinguishes vowel length.

sah-rah-OO-nee-yah /sa.ra.ˈu.ni.ja/

“Queen” in Hausa; the title borne by Amina of Zazzau.

ah-MEE-nah /aˈmi.na/

Amina of Zazzau, the Hausa warrior queen.

Also written Aminatu

zahz-ZOW /zazˈzau/

The Hausa city-state of Zazzau, centred on Zaria.

The ending “-au” rhymes with “now”.

Also written Zaria

DOW-rah /ˈdau.ra/

The Hausa town of Daura, home of the Bayajidda origin legend.

n-ZEENG-gah /ˈⁿziŋ.ɡa/

Queen Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba.

Begins with an “nz” cluster; the spelling “Njinga” is closer to the original sound.

Also written Njinga, Ana Nzinga

n-DAWNG-goh /ˈⁿdɔŋ.ɡo/

The kingdom of Ndongo, in modern Angola.

The “Nd-” is a single prenasalised sound.

mah-TAHM-bah /maˈtam.ba/

The kingdom of Matamba, ruled by Nzinga.

n-dah-TEH YAH-lah /ⁿda.ˈte ˈja.la/

Ndaté Yalla Mbodj, Lingeer of Waalo.

“Mbodj” (m-BOJ) is her matriclan name.

Also written Ndate Yalla

lin-GAYR /liŋˈɡeːr/

The Wolof title for a queen or royal woman.

Also written Linguère

WAH-loh /ˈwaː.lo/

The Wolof kingdom of Waalo, on the Senegal River.

The doubled “aa” marks a held vowel.

Also written Walo

kahn-DAH-keh /kanˈda.kɛ/

The Meroitic title for a ruling queen or queen mother of Kush.

Latinised as “Candace” (KAN-duh-see). Meroitic sounds are only partly reconstructed.

Also written Kentake, Candace

MEH-roh-eh /ˈmɛ.rɔ.eː/

The royal city, and later the kingdom, of Kush.

The two dots on ë mark a separate final vowel; commonly anglicised “MERR-oh-ee”.

Also written Meroe

KOOSH /kuʃ/

The Nubian kingdom of Kush on the middle Nile.

Also written Cush

ah-mah-nee-REH-nahs /a.ma.niˈrɛ.nas/

The Kandake who fought Rome in the late 1st century BCE.

Meroitic vowels are reconstructed.

Also written Amanirenas

ah-mah-nee-shah-KHEH-toh /a.ma.ni.ʃaˈkʰɛ.to/

A ruling Kandake of Meroë.

The “kh” is a throaty k, as in Scots “loch”; reconstructed.

hat-SHEP-soot /hætˈʃɛp.suːt/

The female pharaoh who ruled as king (c. 1479–1458 BCE).

An Egyptological convention: ancient Egyptian did not write vowels, so they are reconstructed.

Also written Hatchepsut

rah-nah-vah-LOO-nah /ra.na.vaˈlu.na/

Ranavalona I, queen of Madagascar (r. 1828–1861).

In Malagasy an unstressed “o” sounds like “oo”.

MEHR-nuh /ˈme.rə.na/

The highland Merina kingdom of Madagascar.

Malagasy weakens unstressed vowels, so it sounds close to “MERN”.