Colonial spellings of our surnames — Who is “Moamba” in Xitsonga?

The history of how our ancestors were documented in colonial records.



Who does “Moamba” refer to?

In Xitsonga, Moamba is N’wamba. 🌳

Why is “Moamba” written in a foreign format?

Long ago, the surname N’wamba was changed to Moamba by the Portuguese. Why? Because their language doesn’t have the “N’W” sound found in Xitsonga! Instead, they used “M” to represent it — and that’s how N’wamba became Moamba in official documents. 🌳

Keep exploring, keep learning, and let the language guide you.

Losani. 🌳