Venda

noun

Ven·​da ˈven-də 

: a Bantu language spoken by a people of Northern province, Republic of South Africa

also : a member of this people

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Venda -venḓa, a self-designation (in Vhavenḓa "the Venda people," Tshivenḓa "the Venda language")

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Geographical Definition

Venda

geographical name

Ven·​da ˈven-də 

former enclave in the Republic of South Africa set aside for Black people as part of a government policy of racial segregation

Note: Venda was nominally granted independence in 1979 with Thohoyandu as its capital but was reincorporated into South Africa in 1994.